Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!wugate!uunet!ncrlnk!ncratl!brown
From: brown@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM (Kyle Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: variable declaration
Keywords: variables, objects, optimization
Message-ID: <953@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM>
Date: 12 Sep 89 14:47:44 GMT
Organization: NCR Corporation, E&M Atlanta
Lines: 15

Hi Folks.

Here's a little question that's come up as I try to put together a style
guide for C++ programming.  In standard C (and other block-structured 
languages) it's common to declare all variables in a block at the beginning
of your program.  However, in C++ it is often useful to declare some
variables close to their first point of use.  (See Stroustroup 1986 for a 
discussion)  For example, some object constructors have parameters that may
not be defined at the beginning of a block, etc.

Has anybody developed any style rules for this?  I'm especially worried 
about the tradeoff of readability for optimization. (This becomes a real
issue in loop indices) Any pointers to information on general C++ style 
(other than Stroustroup and Wiener and Pinson, which I have) would be
helpful.