The origin of C++ can be traced back 40 years, but it is still one of the most widely used programming languages today.
As of September 2020, C++ is the fourth programming language in the world after C language, Java and Python. According to the latest TIOBE index, C++ is also the fastest growing language.
In an interview with foreign media recently, Bjarne Stroustrup, the father of C++, reviewed the key to C++'s success and its 40-year development history.
The success of C++ was unexpected.
In 1979, the creator of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup, began to develop this programming language. The language was originally designed as an improved version of the C language, adding features based on object-oriented programming.
Bjarne Stroustrup didn’t expect C++ to be so successful at the beginning. He said: “ The success of C++ is obviously surprising. I think its success depends on its original design goal, which is the effective use of hardware, coupled with powerful The abstraction mechanism and its careful development based on feedback from actual usage. "
At the beginning of building C++, Bjarne Stroustrup hoped to build a multi-computer system with a communication system, which could be a shared memory or a network. He focused on the software and wrote the low-level code close to the hardware. For example, storage managers, process schedulers and device drivers, and separate software components so that they can be run in a better way.
Forty years ago, there was no programming language that could do this job, and Bjarne Stroustrup put a lot of thought into it.
Now, C++ has become one of the most popular languages for developers, consolidating systems and services worldwide.
C++ 11 made C++ a new language.
He realized from a very early time that this work could not be done by him alone, but at that time only Bjarne Stroustrup and a few of his colleagues at Bell Labs devoted themselves. among them. With the acceleration of the standardization process, more and more people have joined it.Today, the C++ Standards Committee has more than 400 members and a wider user group, and they work together to influence the development direction of the programming language.
1998 was the year when C++ was officially standardized. Since then, it has become one of the most commonly used programming languages, and it has maintained this status to this day.
Bjarne Stroustrup said that C++ 11, which came in the next 13 years, laid the foundation for the development of C++. He said: " C++ 11 makes C++ feel like a new language. " Support for concurrent type safety is essential. , C++ provides a dense network of functions that support each other, such as functions for compile-time calculations, automatic type inference, and variable parameter template functions.
As Bjarne Stroustrup said, C++ 11 adds some new features that can make things easier while maintaining compatibility and stability. However, although C++ 11 introduces some new features that make the language simpler, faster, and more expressive, it is still very difficult to master.
Bjarne Stroustrup said frankly: " C++ is really complicated, and it takes a lot of effort to learn to use it well, but what many people want is a simpler and more functional language without breaking existing code. "
For a programming language, one of the biggest challenges is to reach a consensus on deciding which features to adopt and ignore, which itself requires a lot of effort and a lot of time to discuss. But even so, not all good features can be adopted, and things that are really helpful to people must be added.
The secret of C++'s popularity for decades As for the secret
of how to keep C++ alive for decades, Bjarne Stroustrup mentioned, "We should start small, clarify long-term ideals, and develop based on feedback from actual usage."
Indeed, C++ has been around for more than 35 years, and today’s C++ is more powerful and expressive than the earlier C++. However, until today, some of its simple programs are still running.
For a system that has been used for decades, stability is a very important language function. In fact, many of the early ideas are only available in C++20. Bjarne Stroustrup said: " I knew from the beginning that I couldn't build an ideal language, so I had to aim for incremental development. I don't believe in a perfect language, which has different standards for the language itself and the people who use it. "
Bjarne Stroustrup also added: "Evolution is a necessary condition for meeting the challenges of a constantly changing world and integrating new ideas."
C++ is the invisible foundation of everything
C++ is a general-purpose programming language. It is favored by developers due to its powerful functions and flexibility. This makes it an operating system, web browser, search engine (including Google), games, and Ideal for business applications, etc. Bjarne Stroustrup concluded: "If there is a problem that requires efficient use of hardware and handling of considerable complexity, then C++ is clearly a good choice."
Bjarne Stroustrup also mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic hindered the progress of the two iterations under C++, C++ 20 and C++ 23. In the future, they will introduce new features and release revised standards every three years. C++ 17 and C++ 20 will be delivered on time.
However, despite the widespread popularity of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup still finds it difficult to pinpoint its purpose. He said: "In any large system, C++ is usually found in lower-level and performance-critical parts. End users and even developers of other parts of the system usually don’t see these parts of the system, so sometimes I mean C++ is the invisible foundation of everything."