What's the best workflow to keep cpp files and header files in sync?

Question

I'm trying to learn C++ for Qt development, and I'm a little scared of header files. What I'd like to know is, what's the best workflow for keeping *.cpp and *.h files synched? For example, is the norm to write the class file and then copy the relevant info over to the header?

Sorry if this doesn't make any sense...I'm just looking for an efficient workflow for this.

Thanks!

• Justin

Answer 1

For example, is the norm to write the class file and then copy the relevant info over to the header?

While there is no single standard approach, its usually a good idea to:

• first think about the public interface
• put that in the header
• implement in the source file accordingly
• update the header if needed

Jumping straight into the implementation can make for a painful refactoring later on.

Answer 2

So:

• You'll get linker errors if something's in the header, used by a client, and not in the cpp.
• You'll get compile errors if something in the cpp is not defined or is defined differently in the .h

What scenario are you worried about?