Policy-Based Design

Policy-based design is one of the most well-known C++ patterns. Since the introduction of the standard template library in 1998, few new ideas have been more influential on the way we design C++ programs than the invention of policy-based design.

A policy-based design is all about flexibility, extensibility, and customization. It is a way to design software that can evolve and can be adapted to the changing needs, some of which could not even be anticipated at the time when the initial design was conceived. A well-designed policy-based system can remain unchanged at the structural level for many years, and serve the changing needs and new requirements without compromise.

Unfortunately, it is also a way to build software that could do all of those things if only there was someone who could figure out how it works. The aim of this chapter is to teach you to design and understand the systems of the former kind while avoiding the excesses that lead to the disasters...