psrc@pegasus.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) (10/10/89)
In article <674@hsi86.hsi.UUCP>, wright@hsi.UUCP (Gary Wright) writes: > C++ is in desperate need of a standard data structures library so that > programmers do not need to post to the net to see if anybody has a > {list, graph, stack} class they could use. True enough. Everybody who's involved with C++, as a user or as a developer of the language (including Dr. Stoustrup), realizes this. The language is still missing two features that would make such classes much more usable: parameterized types and exception handling. There are some locally-developed (and AT&T proprietary, sorry) classes that simulate these features with the preprocessor; they're useful, but kludgy. (No offense, Rob! It's the best you could do with the language in it's current state.) This raises a very serious question: do we standardize on the useful features first, and then take advantage of them? Or do we standardize on the classes, and carry the warts forever? Standardization efforts will be starting in a few months, and these disputes will be tough to resolve. Either way, Dr. Stroustrup is extremely reluctant to distribute anything new unless it's right the first time; no one will every let him take anything back. It's a fine line. > Gary Wright ...!uunet!hsi!wright > Health Systems International wright@hsi.com Paul S. R. Chisholm, AT&T Bell Laboratories att!pegasus!psrc, psrc@pegasus.att.com, AT&T Mail !psrchisholm I'm not speaking for the company, I'm just speaking my mind.