Re: C++... is it dying?
ian-news@hotmail.com wrote:
Daniel T." <danie...@earthlink.net> wrote:
Juha Nieminen <nos...@thanks.invalid> wrote:orks?
Why shouldn't a new C++ engine, framework or library use the STL?
Why build a new one when we already have one that works quite well, and
has already been ported to five different architectures? Why would
someone start a new project from scratch and not take advantage of any
of the libraries in existence (many of which *don't* use the STL because
they are older than the STL?)
Why use electricity when we have gas lamps?
It's more like "why use someone else's electricity when I have my own
power plant?" There is a cost to switching, and the reward has to
justify the cost. If there was some huge reward for using the STL over
the proven libraries we already have, I could see doing it.
What happens when you have to use a new compiler or platform where
your libraries don't build? If you use the standard libraries,
porting is someone else's problem.
That's not an issue, our libraries are built using standard C++. If the
compiler vendor can't implement new, pointers and v-tables, I don't
think I would trust his libraries.
Why use STL constructs when a majority of the programmers in the
software house don't know them? Talk about maintenance nightmare!
Time to book some training. It sounds like your staff are going
stales.
So now you are suggesting that I stop a productive company in the middle
of several projects to train people how to do... What exactly? Use a
library that implements a bunch of stuff we already have implemented?
Why would I do that?
The STL is nice, but it came too late for my company. By the time
reliable implementations existed, we already had our own code written
and deployed in several products.
Now a "new version" of C++ is coming out. Once again full of solutions
to problems we have already solved...
I'm sorry to sound so negative. I tried years ago to push my company
into using more of the standard library, but I still can't answer the
simple question... "Why switch?"