Re: Rumors of reduced support for C++ /CLI

From:
"Ben Voigt [C++ MVP]" <bvoigt@newsgroup.nospam>
Newsgroups:
microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vc
Date:
Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:51:46 -0500
Message-ID:
<7555B3E6-7308-4743-8809-6B5BE39AD2CD@microsoft.com>
"Edward Diener" <eddielee_no_spam_here@tropicsoft.com> wrote in message
news:OCmTblTJKHA.4652@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Ben Voigt [C++ MVP] wrote:

"Brian Muth" <bmuth@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:2F30BEEA-AE7A-41B5-95F6-13B661D5E5B2@microsoft.com...

"Edward Diener" <eddielee_no_spam_here@tropicsoft.com> wrote in message
news:eHnu1d2IKHA.6068@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

Brian Muth wrote:

Nonetheless Microsoft's abysmal support for C++/CLI, along with their
almost complete refusal to fix C++/CLI bugs ...


What bugs are you referring to? I've always considered C++/CLI to be
extremely stable.


Here are bug report numbers:

101670

not found


Don't know why Edward didn't provide useful links, but they should look
like this (change the last six digits). Connect's search can't match
issue numbers, apparently.

https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=101670

101671

not found

101674

not found

101677

workaround provided

101678

not found

192619

not found

199186

not found

205446

not found

216882

not found

249881

not found

275035

not found

295385

not found

344776

not found

362782

not found

431084

not found

any others that I can review?


I looked at about half of them. There were a couple of genuine bugs,


They were all genuine bugs. Because MS decides not to fix them, or
considers some idiotic and onerous workaround sufficient, does not make
them any less genuine.

and a bunch of not understanding that C++ template code needs to be put
into header files, not exported from DLL's.


Dream on ! You are so full of it.


There is only one mechanism for binary template reuse in C++ -- "export".
And there's exactly one compiler that supports it, and that one isn't Visual
C++. Everyone else distributes reusable template code as header files.

 For example, Edward claimed that it wasn't possible to make a reusable
function to convert between System::String and std::string, but clearly
the marshal_as class provided in VS2008 does so.


I reported it for VS2005 when the marshal_as class did not exist. Also my
example showed I was correct at that time.


Sorry, nothing in the compiler changed to make marshal_as work. It just
wasn't bundled in VS2005, but you could download it from the marshal_as.net
(or whatever the website for it was) and use it just fine.

The other thing I noticed was a pattern of insulting the developers. No
wonder the real bugs didn't get any response. You catch more flies with
honey....


I never insulted anyone. I told them the truth. Too bad more people do not
do that. I don't have to lie to MS in order to please them.


You didn't go out of your way to make sure it wouldn't be perceived as
insulting either.

I value the bare truth. Many people do not. Lack of tact tends to make
people uncooperative.

What is most amusing is that you equate C++/CLI stability as an
indicator of good support. I, OTOH, consider good support the ability
to implement features and to fix bugs.


I've been very favourably impressed by Microsoft's commitment to
enhancements, new features, and bug fixes. One only needs to see the new
feature list of Visual Studio 2010 to see this.

Brian


And I for one am glad that Microsoft didn't "embrace and extend" C++ even
more than they have. Sure, C# got anonymous functions first, but I'm
really glad that Visual C++ is going to have them using the standard
syntax instead of coming up with something new for VS2005 that would have
conflicted with C++0x.


C++/CLI is Microsoft's own language. Like C# they can change it at will.
Arguments to the contrary are just excuses. Sure they would like to
maintain compatibility with C++ on the purely C++ native parts of C++/CLI,
but they have already made enough changes to support .Net that adding some
more to support .Net technologies is not going to upset any C++
programmer. After all they have continued to change C# with each no
release, and no C# programmer is scurring away in disgust.


But C++/CLI allows mixing native and managed code -- the same syntax has to
be supported in both.

Herb Sutter did a great job with C++/CLI but MS refused to follow up and
make it a first class .Net language.


It doesn't seem to be the language you're complaining about though. Just
the tools.

A bunch of other stuff like expression trees and LINQ, C++ had first in
the form of template libraries (there are some really good ones out
there).


Good ! Then there is even less reason for MS not supporting C++/CLI as it
should have. You have justified my arguments even though you supposed you
were just being clever arguing against me.


I'm saying that much of what people perceive as not being supported in
C++/CLI actually is, by virtue of the very flexible language design. Now it
does require some follow through to write the libraries, but not compiler
changes. Which means that anybody can add those features, not just
Microsoft.

C++0x is going to make such libraries even more powerful (can anyone say
"XAML support via user-defined string literals"?).
http://www.research.att.com/~bs/C++0xFAQ.html#UD-literals


One doesn't need C++Ox to do XAML visually. This is just a red herring.


Microsoft makes visual XAML design tools available. I thought you were
complaining about the lack of integration with C++ at the source code level.
That's what C++0x user-defined string literals.

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