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From: noren@dinl.uucp (Charles Noren)
Newsgroups: comp.std.c++
Subject: C++ Class Library Standards
Message-ID: <1684@dinl.mmc.UUCP>
Date: 3 Aug 90 16:57:44 GMT
Reply-To: noren@dinl.UUCP (Charles Noren)
Organization: Martin Marietta I&CS, Denver CO.
Lines: 43

What is being done about establishing official class libraries
for C++?  I think a standard that addresses class types of
similar power as the National Institute of Health Class Library
(NIHCL) would be quite useful in developing portable code.
Perhaps significant movement is already being made in class
standards, and what is proper to be considered as standards
associated with C++, but I'll continue with my ignorance and
suggest some "strawman" class libraries I would like to see:

  1.  General data structures.  This would include things
      like collections, bags, sets, dictionaries, stacks,
      queues, heaps, etc..  Similar to NIHCL.

  2.  Math class library.  This would include matrix operations,
      complex numbers, and other mathmatical classes.

  3.  Operating System class library.  This would include
      a "process" class (start and kill processes, status
      processes),classes that support Inter-Process Communication
      (IPC), perhaps file I/O.

  4.  Database class library (I've heard that there are OODB
      standards groups in existance).

  5.  A windows class library (perhaps similar to InterViews).

  6.  A 2-D graphics class library.  This would support line
      graphs, bar charts, pie charts, etc..

  7.  A 3-D or advanced graphics library.

Some of these class libraries probably don't fall into the
domain of the C++ standards group, but it would be nice to
develop a master plan for class libraries, which would have
obvious advantages.  What is being done?  What would you like
to see?

-- 
Chuck Noren
NET:     dinl!noren@ncar.ucar.edu
US-MAIL: Martin Marietta I&CS, MS XL8058, P.O. Box 1260,
         Denver, CO 80201-1260
Phone:   (303) 971-7930