Tech blog of WEN Yang : C++

Stroustrup on The C++0x "Remove Concepts" Decision

wenyang — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:03:00 GMT

Bjarne Stroustrup talked about the C++0x "Remove Concepts" Decision

What others think about Java and C++

wenyang — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:34:00 GMT

After using Java for production code for a while, I realize that C++ is still my favorite. I admit that Java has some nice features, but it has not yet met my expectation. I am somewhat reluctant to some negative things about Java at this moment, as I still think it would be unfair to do so given my C++ background and limited Java experiences. Apparently each language has its strengths and weaknesses. But I do agree with Bruce Eckel who pointed out, in his post The Positive Legacy of C++ and Java, that someone was not doing his/her homework when making decisions about Java. It is interesting to see how others, especially those with years of experiences in both languages, to compare the duo.

Wt: a C++ Web Toolkit

wenyang — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:06:00 GMT

I just read about an introduction of Wt, by Wim Dumon and Koen Deforche, available at Dr. Dobb's. This library can let programmers write modern web applications using a familiar C++ GUI programming style. The interesting thing about Wt is it would renders the C++ applications to the web browser. The authors claimed that Wt supports AJAX and provides greater efficiency and a smaller footprint than Java or Ruby solutions. It seems like a good option for those who are comfortable with C++ GUI programming and would not invest extra efforts to switch to other languages. :-)

This library is released under a dual-license strategy (kind of similar to Qt): one can choose GNU GPL (for free, of course), or a commercial license for a yearly subscription fee.

Bjarne Stroustrup Talked About the Problem with Programming

wenyang — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:35:00 GMT

MIT's Technology Review posted the recent interview of Bjarne Stroustrup at The Problem with Programming and More Trouble with Programming.

One thing I like about C++ is that "you don't need to pay for what you don't need". For programs with high value on efficiency, such design philosophy is often necessary. IMHO, C++ is not responsible for many criticism people claim. So often have I seen people misuse C++ and cause lots of trouble in the software, but I would rather believe that this is because the programmers who write those code are undertrained. Some might say that it's because C++ is too difficult to learn, yet I have not found any other language that is as powerful as C++ while much easier to learn. Everything comes with a price, anyway. I once read about something, by an experienced C++ programmer, in which he said C++ is "difficult to learn but easy to use". I have started to feel the same way.

There is one sentence I would like to quote from Bjarne's interview: "Expressing dislike of something you don't know is usually known as prejudice."

A few interesting articles about C++ by Scott Meyers

wenyang — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:27:00 GMT

http://www.artima.com/cppsource has this "five lists of five":

My Most Important C++ Aha! Moments...Ever
The Most Important C++ People...Ever
The Most Important C++ Software...Ever
The Most Important C++ Non-Book Publications...Ever
The Most Important C++ Books...Ever

Comeau C/C++

wenyang — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 17:21:00 GMT

Friends told me that Comeau is one of the most standard conformant C++ compilers. "When in doubt, ask Comeau C++", they said.
I went to their website yesterday. Their "Comeau C++ and C FAQ" is a good starting point for C++ beginners who are not familiar with the standard. The most interesting thing is the "Test Drive Comeau C/C++ Online", where one can upload their code and see if it compiles. This is where we can "ask" Comeau. :-)