Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!ccu.umanitoba.ca!herald.usask.ca!alberta!ubc-cs!uw-beaver!fluke!mce From: mce@tc.fluke.COM (Brian McElhinney) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: C/C++ difference? Message-ID: <1991Feb19.220530.18410@tc.fluke.COM> Date: 19 Feb 91 22:05:30 GMT References: <1991Feb14.004044.6847@tc.fluke.COM> <23228@well.sf.ca.us> Organization: Software of the Mist Lines: 36 oster@well.sf.ca.us (David Phillip Oster) writes: >In article <1991Feb14.004044.6847@tc.fluke.COM> mce@tc.fluke.COM (Brian McElhinney) writes: >>Usage of C++ is, according to some, doubling every year. That rapid growth >>means lots of reusable classes, and lots of different compilers for lots of >>different machines. >What reusable classes are available? >Where? >From whom? >How much? You misunderstood. C++ is a *very* young language. It is entering the *beginning* of its useful life, not the middle or end (whereas C is in its middle age, and Object Pascal is forever young, doomed as it is to a niche existence). At present, most C++ classes are spread like folk tales, on an individual basis. Not the best quality. However, there are some "real" C++ classes available. I've not had time to research production-quality classes, but I've briefly looked at the GNU g++ library (forest approach), and the software from Gorlen, et al, (tree approach). When the Booch Components Library is out (later this year?) it will go to the top of the list. Because they have the most incentive, the largest and most productive concentration of reusable software will *always* be proprietary to individual companies. They have the advantage in that 1) such software is very close at hand, 2) its pedigree -- defect reports, test history, authors -- is well known, and 3) the company is almost certainly developing similar follow-on products. But somehow I think you have a hidden agenda here. Don't like C++, perhaps? Don't blame you. But sniping at the perceived availability of reusable classes is not going to make it go away. Brian McElhinney "If always without desire, one can observe marvels; if mce@tc.fluke.com always desireous, one sees merest traces." Lao-Tzu