Coding C++ (mostly) in header files vs .cpp files

Question

For years I\'ve been coding C++ in the standard way, with class declarations in header files .hpp and the function definitions in source .cpp files. Recently I moved to a new c

Answer 1

Off the top of my head:

Strengths:

• implementation visible (more of a weakness, but depends on the case)
• no need to export to a library
• better chance for the compiler to optimize some of the code

Weaknesses:

• implementation visible
• slower build time
• bloated header files
• a change in implementation would require a full rebuild, having the implementation in an implementation file does not (only compile that specific file or library)
• In case of circular dependencies, you use forward-declarations and only include the full type in the implementation file. If all you have is a header, this is no longer possible.

I'm sure there are others, I'll edit if I can think of any more.