2007/06/06 by Bjarne Stroustrup · 2 citations
Computer Science · #Logic, programming, and type systems #Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques #Advanced Software Engineering Methodologies #Computer science #Standardization #Programming language #Standard language #First-generation programming language #Software engineering #Programming paradigm #Linguistics #Operating system
paper · doi:10.1145/1238844.1238848
openalex publication_date 2007/06/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This paper outlines the history of the C++ programming language from the early days of its ISO standardization (1991), through the 1998 ISO standard, to the later stages of the C++0x revision of that standard (2006). The emphasis is on the ideals, constraints, programming techniques, and people that shaped the language, rather than the minutiae of language features. Among the major themes are the emergence of generic programming and the STL (the C++ standard library's algorithms and containers). Specific topics include separate compilation of templates, exception handling, and support for embedded systems programming. During most of the period covered here, C++ was a mature language with millions of users. Consequently, this paper discusses various uses of C++ and the technical and commercial pressures that provided the background for its continuing evolution.