[McCrockett]

Hello. I'm currently taking a computer science course and I'm doing a little research paper about C++. I honestly don't know C++ too well yet. But I have a few questions that I would like to ask and feel free to post your opinions. I hope this is the right forum for this type of discussion. Here's the questions:

- What do you think is the most substantial programming contribution, or "claim-to-fame", created through C++?
- What is it about C++ code that you like the most? (I'm fishing for code snippets here).

Thank you for your help.

[marty617]

One of the original design goals of Dennis Ritchie was to create a language with minimal translation from high level language to machine instructions. After all, he was an operating system developer. This has always been C's greatest strength. Stroustrup wrapped some organization around that without interfering with the high correlation between language and machine instruction in creating C++.

In my opinion this is C/C++'s greatest strength.

[ishkabible]

C++'s main goal as I see it is to provide "zero cost abstractions" meaning that it gives you the tools to create high level abstractions and interfaces but also gives you the control to do with minimal overhead. things like templates, polymorphism, function overloading, RAII(destructors and such), exceptions, and RTTI(I don't actually like that last 2 all that much) give the ability to create the abstractions while the low level C like simplicity and semantics plus compile time computation gives all the control to do it in an optimal way.

[modi123_1]

Did someone say code snippets?

[NecroWinter]

McCrockett, on 08 November 2012 - 04:56 AM, said:

Hello. I'm currently taking a computer science course and I'm doing a little research paper about C++. I honestly don't know C++ too well yet. But I have a few questions that I would like to ask and feel free to post your opinions. I hope this is the right forum for this type of discussion. Here's the questions:

- What do you think is the most substantial programming contribution, or "claim-to-fame", created through C++?
- What is it about C++ code that you like the most? (I'm fishing for code snippets here).

Thank you for your help.

1) I dont know if its the first object oriented programming language, but it was definitely a pioneer, it took c syntax which I find to be very good, and added objects

2) the syntax. After taking a COBOL and RPG IV class, ive really come to appreciate it.

[ishkabible]

it's not the first object oriented language nor is it actually an object oriented language(although that was the idea of C with classes). It drew from the language Simula for it's object orientation which was influenced by smalltalk(I believe smalltalk was the first object oriented language). C with classes was perhaps the 3rd(simula was perhaps the 2nd) or close to it but modern C++ has moved away from that kind of object orientation and moved on to new things that incorporate the features of objects and polymorphism with other abstractions. if OOP is a good abstraction, it is used. when it's not or when features of it just help its either not used or just a part of a totally different idea. the key is really learning to use it the OOP side of C++ with the generic programming side and the low level C side all together.

[jon.kiparsky]

There are those who would claim that the biggest contribution to programming languages made by C++ was to give James Gosling a good set of mistakes to correct when he created Java.
And if we're going to be honest, the next thing you have to point out is that Gosling himself has said the most important thing about Java is not Java the language, but the JVM.
And since C's big advantage over other languages was intended to be portability, there's a nice symmetry there.
So there's your think piece, all wrapped up with a bow for you.

[ishkabible]

well those people are wrong they are two different langues, two totally different languages. C++ is a systems language while Java is an applications language. people need to stop comparing them

[jon.kiparsky]

C++ was an applications language in 1995... Why do you think it's seen as only a systems language today?

[ishkabible]

Because it's not as well suited for it compared to Java or C#. So yes there are some truths to it but even in the 98 standard and in earlier books Bjarne said it had a bias toward systems programming so even then it wasn't entirely an applications language; at least that wasn't entirely the intention.

C++ definitely still has the market on applications that require speed and/or lower level developmental. This is easily seen the games industry, server and client systems that cost more to run than to develop, and other lower level applications. Of course I'd say C probably has the market on low level systems programming and embedded applications but C++ also has it's place there too. Also back in the day when C++ was more of an applications language that was because many of the issues we face today only in systems dev were still an issue in many kinds of development.

all this said, Java seems like a better applications language, especially for today's challenges hence you only see C++ primarily in systems development.

[AnalyticLunatic]

NecroWinter, on 18 November 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

After taking a COBOL and RPG IV class, ive really come to appreciate it.

Really? You don't say?!