What C++ Version Should You Target?

This is an interesting question, with not an easy answer. I would say that the correct answer is: “It depends.” Modern C++ started with C++11. I think C++11 is the most impactful version of C++ to date, as it introduced very important and convenient features like: range-for loops, lambdas, move semantics, standard smart pointers like std::unique_ptr and std::shared_ptr, etc. C++14 was kind of a small improvement for things that didn’t make it into C++11. For example, C++11 had std::make_shared for std::shared_ptr, but it clearly lacked the corresponding std::make_unique for std::unique_ptr. Well, std::make_unique (and other small features, like supporting auto in lambda parameters) were added in C++14. Then it came C++17. Again, no big new features here, at least not at the C++11 impact level, but some convenient stuff, like: attributes (e.g. [[nodiscard]], [[fallthrough]], or [[maybe_unused]]); static_assert with no messages (a.k.a. terse static_assert); structured bindings, which…