Re: [Boost-users] C++ announcements coming tomorrow

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] C++ announcements coming tomorrow
From: Mathias Gaunard (mathias.gaunard_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-11-03 12:15:01

On 03/11/12 15:52, Beman Dawes wrote:

> * Microsoft has released an out-of-band community technical preview
> (CTP) for their compiler, adding explicit conversion operators, raw
> string literals, function template default arguments, delegating
> constructors, uniform initialization, and variatic templates. (See
> http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/C9-Lectures-Stephan-T-Lavavej-Core-C-/STLCCSeries6
> for instructions on how to use the CTP). Microsoft is promising more
> such feature releases during the first half of 2013. This is important
> for the whole C++ community, since it means that full C++11 support is
> becoming a reality across all widely used compilers.

I find the idea of a community technical preview surprising, since 
Microsoft has been repeatedly refusing to fix bugs reported by the 
community unless you have purchased commercial support.

It seems they focus on adding new features rather than fixing bugs. 
While a good marketing strategy for a commercial product, it arguably 
doesn't work so well with a "community" approach.