Re: [boost] Re: Re: Boost to the rescue

From: Victor A. Wagner Jr. (vawjr_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-04-15 21:09:05

At Friday 2005-04-15 13:45, you wrote:
>>Martin Wille wrote:
>>>It's pretty sad that someone like Robert who wrote an amazing and so
>>>useful piece of software and who managed to get it reviewed and
>>>accepted
>>>by most knowledgeable and experienced software developers doesn't
>>>receive any reputation bonus for his contribution.
>
>Having spent the last six months trying to recruit C++ developers and 
>asking if they've heard of boost to be met with blank faces I tend to 
>agree with Robert.
>
>BTW I have a couple of openings on the south coast of England :)
>
>>><lament>
>>>What makes me really worry is that many places even seem to be unaware
>>>of the fact that there is a C++ standard. I'm afraid most software is
>>>still being written by copy-pasting stuff from questionable sources on
>>>the web by people who don't understand what they're doing.
>>></lament>
>
>Its worse than that, many C++ programmers are oblivious to anything other 
>than Microsoft libraries. Even STL???
>(I'm not trying to defame Microsoft because what it does

Go ahead, defame them, they were actively trying to kill C++ right about 
the time the standard came out.  C'mon, they released vc++6.0 just before 
the standard was ratified, then had an "official" position that backwards 
compatibility was more important than adherence to "any so-called 
standard".  They STILL haven't fixed the bugs in the VC++6.0 STL which were 
offered for free by Dinkumware AND to add insult to injury they actually 
released a service pack SP6 within the last year as if that piece of 
scheiss actually warranted fixing (7.1 has been out for more than a 
year).  There are too damn many Microsoft apologists in this universe.  MS 
screwed the pooch w/ respect to C++ (their embedded compilers are based on 
that old VC++6 stuff instead of the 7 or 7.1).
IMO they haven't done anything except make our lives more difficult.
Don't get me too wrong, I use VS.net2003 for all my Windows projects (and 
I'm testing Whidbey in regressions too).  I'm hoping that they're get 
things right.

But we can't even get the intelligent people in boost to drop support for 
that piece-o-junk vc++6, how are we gonna convince the idiots?

>, it does to get the job done even if elegance/efficiency sometimes take a 
>tumble).
>
>>
>>My main point was my disappointment at how the programming community seems
>>to see that everything is OK.   The newer programming languages Java, C#,
>>VB, etc don't offer anything new in my opinion.  I feel like I'm the only
>>person seeing this.  Its lonely - that's why I monitor this list.
>
>I disagree with respect to supporting libraries etc.
>I think C++ also needs to take a good hard look at itself and its 
>usability. Just because through some perversion of templates and 
>metaprogramming certain things can be done (cool even!), doesn't mean 
>thats the way they should be done.
>
>Boost libraries are fantastic in what they do, but they are only a small 
>subset of the tools that professional developers need to have at their 
>fingertips. I can't help feeling that the C++ standard has NOT taken on 
>anywhere near enough productivity libraries to stem the flow of 
>programmers to .NET and (and in some respects java).
>
>Still in 10 years someone will realise productivity libraries and 
>multi-threading really need to be built into any successful language 
>including those expected to run quickly and efficiently. 
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Victor A. Wagner Jr.      http://rudbek.com
The five most dangerous words in the English language:
               "There oughta be a law"