Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!jima
From: jima@hplsla.HP.COM (Jim Adcock)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Generating temporaries
Message-ID: <6590107@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 26 Apr 89 17:11:47 GMT
References: <8904042239.AA07890@yahi.stanford.edu>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 58

> **** flame on ****
> Supposedly, we are using C++ to make our lives simpler so we are more
> productive.  This approach, as well as other binary operator
> approaches, are simply not leading to that goal.
> **** flame off ****
> 
> Methods are simple, operators are hard.  Therefore, forget the
> operators, don't try to write code which looks like C, and then you
> WILL see productivity improvements.

There's a division of labor going on here, between a class writer,
and the users of that class.

Anyone who has used a language with larger "math objects" built in,
such as matrices, vectors, or complex numbers, will certainly
tell you what a pleasure and a godsend it is to be able to say:

	A = B + C*D;

rather than:

	mat temp[ROWSIZE][COLSIZE];

	matmpy(C,D,temp);
        matadd(B,temp,A);

-- and how much more readable -- and likely to be right when normal
math notation can be used!

Certainly, if I had a one-off programming task, where the code is
to be used once, then thrown away, I would not bother to used
operators.

Alternately, if I did not want to worry about speed, or storage
requirements, writing classes with operators is not too hard.

BUT, I do not see one-off, throw-away code as being the future
of C++ or object oriented programming.

I see the future of C++ and OOP being people willing to make
the investment in truly world-class easy-to-use, "obvious"
syntax foundation classes that extend the C++ [or other OOPL]
to broader horizons than can be built into a general 
purpose compiler.

So I believe it is worthwhile for a few dedicated souls to put
in the effort to do a really super job on: strings, vectors,
matrices, linked lists, trees, memory managers, etc -- and
then make these widely available to the rest of us.

So that their difficult effort makes our life much easier.

Also, these programming tasks are only really difficult until
someone finds a good solution.  Then the rest of us can apply
the same general principles in creating other "binary operator"
classes.