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From: day@grand.UUCP (Dave Yost)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.org.usenix
Subject: C++ considered disenchanting
Keywords: C++,object oriented programming,C
Message-ID: <441@grand.UUCP>
Date: 15 Oct 88 00:17:45 GMT
Organization: Grand Software, Inc., 213-650-1089, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 28


The USENIX C++ Conference is coming up next week.
As the person who instigated the first USENIX C++
Conference/Workshop last year, and, in its early
stages, this conference, I want to tell you why
last June I bowed out of my involvement with the
upcoming conference.  I pulled away from the C++
conferences because I became disenchanted with C++.

I used to be enthusiastic about C++ because it
offered new and wonderful expressive power in the
form of object-oriented programming features with
the implication that by providing these features
as extensions to C, we can easily build on what we
already know and ease into new power.

Sounds nice, but it doesn't seem to work that
way.  C++ continues to amaze me with how hairy and
complex it is.  I want a higher level language that
is easy to read, relieves me of details, and lets
me get on with the problem level.  I don't see C++
answering that desire.

Yes, strongly-typed object orientation seems like
the right direction, but it can be a lot nicer than
C++.

 --dave yost