Interviews: Ask Bjarne Stroustrup About Programming and C++

In addition to being the creator of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup is a Managing Director in the technology division of Morgan Stanley, a Visiting Professor in Computer Science at Columbia University, and a Distinguished Research Professor in Computer Science at Texas A&M University. Bjarne has written a number of books and was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He will be doing a live Google + Q & A within the C++ community on August 20th, 2014 at 12:30pm EST, but has agreed to answer your questions first. As usual, ask as many as you'd like, but please, one per post.

diversity?

[slashdice]

Workforce diversity is a big issue these days. What steps has the c++ working group taken to increase the numbers of female and minority contributors? C++ (perhaps unfairly, due to the popularity) is often criticized in feminist circles for being a patriarchal programming language. Will you be taking steps to address those concerns?

Re:Is the complexity of C++ a practical joke?

[narcc]

C++: Is It Really a Cruel Joke? [duke.edu]

Re:Is the complexity of C++ a practical joke?

[micahraleigh]

Java added lambda's.

C# pioneered lambda's.

Java and C# have individually higher adoption than C++:

https://sites.google.com/site/... [google.com]

Seems like lambda's are an ascending trend.

On the other hand ... so are murders in Chicago.

Re:Is the complexity of C++ a practical joke?

[Anonymous Coward]

This needs to be modded +10.

C++ has become a clusterfuck of engineering.

Some of the most painful moments of my life were working on a professional C++ compiler. Almost everyone uses the EDG front end to minimize the pain of parsing C++ into an AST.

What's happened to C++ is the antithesis of engineering. Engineering involves planning and design.

It's more like building an upside-down doghouse in your attic, then forcing beavers to build a damn inside it.

Re:Is the complexity of C++ a practical joke?

[kthreadd]

C# pioneered lambda's.

(get (off) (my lawn))

Re:Why is C++ such an utter pile of shit?

[DickBreath]

There are optimizations you can use to improve your experience with C and C++.

Just insert these into your header files for both time and space improvements in your compiled code.

#define struct union; // uses less memory
#define while if; // makes code run faster

Now how can you say bad things about a language that is so easily improved?