[SATLUG] Cross Platform Idiocy?

[Travis H.]

On 9/19/06, Justizin <justizin at siggraph.org> wrote:
> > I've tried to really like C++, I really have, but after developing in
> > C#, Java, and most importantly, Objective-C, C++ is frustrating. One
> > of the first classes I took at A&M was Intro to C++ from Stroustrop
> > himself, and he states in the beginning how C++ originally started as
> > C with classes, and then became C++ at some point. In my ow opinion,
> > it didn't. I've seen some gross, very specific, C++ code before, but
> > it will always look like C with classes, as I don't believe it offers
> > anything else than operator overloading (gross!) and new an
> > interesting ways to fuck up your own code base.
>
> Yeah, ObjC is way better.  I'm glad to see someone from A&M who
> actually learned from Stroustrup say this.  C++ was my first *real*
> language when I took 2-3 years of AP CS in high school, and I'm glad
> it played this role for me only because it was so frustrating, and
> trying to accomplish anything with it forced me to understand:

Yeah, C++ is a language that clearly evolved, and it shows in the design.
However, templates are a godsend, and it can represent strings as first-class
objects, so I think it is perfect as a better C.

Did you know you can compute arbitrary things at compile time through
template meta-programming?

Of course, templates are a total kluge compared to LISP/scheme, which
can easily generate and manipulate LISP source code.

However, python is my favorite.  I want to learn ruby and Ocaml though.
I can crank out a program in an evening with scripting languages, and
that's fine by me.  Computers are superfast, and only getting faster,
but Ocaml can sometimes beat C/C++, and your programs usually
get smaller over time instead of bigger.  Plus it can represent infinite
sets, and other cool stuff.
-- 
Enhance your calm, fellow citizen; it's just ones and zeroes.
Unix "guru" for rent or hire -><- http://www.lightconsulting.com/~travis/
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