14. History and Compatibility

Hurry Slowly(festina lente).

– Octavius, Caesar Augustus

• History

Timeline; The Early Years; The ISO C++ Standards

• C++11 Extensions

Language Features; Standard-Library Components; Deprecated Features; Casts

• C/C++ Compatibility

C and C++ Are Siblings; Compatibility Problems

• Bibliography

• Advice

14.1. History

I invented C++, wrote its early definitions, and produced its first implementation. I chose and formulated the design criteria for C++, designed its major language features, developed or helped to develop many of the early libraries, and was responsible for the processing of extension proposals in the C++ standards committee.

C++ was designed to provide Simula’s facilities for program organization [ ...

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