Meetup #11: Smart Pointers and Space Software

Please join us for our eleventh official C++ Helsinki Meetup! We meet again for talks and discussion about the C++ programming language.

This month, we are again hosted by Hive Helsinki. Anyone interested in the C++ programming language is welcome to attend!

Code of Conduct: By attending C++ Helsinki you agree to abide by the Berlin Code of Conduct. It is a primary goal of our meetup that our attendees feel safe, welcome, and included. If you have any concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact the organizers Timur Doumler and Jeroen Akershoek here on meetup.com.

We have received feedback suggesting that in previous meetups, we have been focusing a bit too much on advanced topics such as the latest C++ standardisation proposals, and not enough on topics that are more accessible, beginner-friendly, and relevant for practical use of C++ today. Therefore, we will aim to incorporate such topics into our schedule more often, starting this month, where we have the following two talks for you:

Sheree Morphett: Safe Resource Management: The basics of RAII and Smart Pointers

This talk is an introduction to RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) in C++. We will discuss the basics of resource management, how RAII helps prevent memory leaks, and why it improves exception safety. We will also introduces smart pointers — std::unique_ptr, std::shared_ptr, and std::weak_ptr — explaining their purpose and common pitfalls. A back to basics talk that focuses on fundamental concepts and practical examples to support writing safer and more efficient C++ code.

Sheree is a C++ programmer and a student at Hive, having joined in October 2022. Prior to transitioning into software development, Sheree worked as a teacher. With a strong background in education, Sheree is now focused on mastering C++ and building a solid foundation in programming.

Juho Miettunen: Who wants to be a rocket scientist? C++ for space software development

Huld is a Finnish company with a long history of software development for different missions of the European Space Agency (ESA). C++ is a standard choice for software responsible for processing raw satellite data. This talk presents how C++ development is carried out for satellite data processing. The development follows processes set by industry standards with the goal of "bug-free" software. Are the processes useful and what could you learn about creating maintainable and robust C++ software?

Juho Miettunen works as a technical lead at Huld and has almost a decade of experience in space software development. He has worked on software design, development and testing for ESA missions such as Sentinel-4 (to be launched this year) and FORUM. Before his space career, Juho completed a PhD in computational physics related to tokamak fusion reactors.

Schedule:

17:30 Doors
18:00 Introduction by the hosts & sponsors
18:15 Talk by Sheree Morphett
18:45 Talk by Juho Miettunen
19:30 Networking
20:30 End

During the meetup, Hive Helsinki will offer some non-alcoholic beverages for the participants. In addition, as usual, we are planning to go to a nearby pub after the meetup to continue socialising and networking.