Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!sumax!amc-gw!nwnexus!pilchuck!dataio!bright
From: bright@Data-IO.COM (Walter Bright)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: iostream question
Message-ID: <2667@dataio.Data-IO.COM>
Date: 24 Aug 90 18:27:22 GMT
References: <TOM.90Aug22070026@hcx2.ssd.csd.harris.com> <127@tdatirv.UUCP>
Organization: Data I/O Corporation; Redmond, WA
Lines: 29

In article <127@tdatirv.UUCP> sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) writes:
<Sigh,  Zortech, in their infinite wisdom, decided NOT to
<use the iostream library in version 2.0 of their compiler!  So even with
<a supposedly 2.0 compatible C++ compiler I am stuck with the old 1.2 streams.

Let me explain our rationale behind this. First, iostreams is not part of
the C++ standard as defined by the ARM. The ARM does not mention iostreams.
Second, a large part of the functionality of iostreams is contained in
the header files (one tendency of C++!). A large part of the functionality
is also not available as a specification. This means that in order to
clone iostreams, we'd have to largely plagarize AT&T's code, which is
copyrighted. Trying to figure out a non-infringing same-only-different
is an extremely difficult task, and we do not have the resources to
do a 'clean room' approach like Phoenix did with the IBM BIOS. We do
not wish to steal AT&T's proprietary code.

Much to AT&T's credit, they have taken a very friendly attitude towards
this. Jerry Schwarz, author of the original iostreams, has undertaken
writing a specification for a cleaned up and simplified iostreams for
eventual inclusion into the ANSI C++ standard. This is with AT&T's full
support. (I wish more companies behaved like this instead of engaging
in lawyer enrichment!)

Zortech is committed to fully supporting the evolving ANSI C++ standard
and will implement an iostreams to Jerry's new spec.

<(P.S.  does the new update from Zortech contain the iostream library?)

No