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1.3 Tools.h++ and the Standardization of C++

Almost everybody sees the benefits of standardizing the C++ language and the Standard C++ Library. The trick is to keep working during the process. We call this a period of transition, and the C++ community is engaged in it now.

Here is what the transition looks like: a standard nearing completion, but not yet fully stable. Although the standard itself is unlikely to be substantially revised, the fine tuning and ratification will continue into 1997.

And here is what the transition looks like: compilers evolving toward the standard at various rates. For a time, you will find new language features_such as namespaces, default template arguments, member function templates, nested class templates_supported on some compilers and not others. Some compilers may not even include a version of the Standard C++ Library; many will offer versions which conform to the standard only so far as they support the necessary language features. It will be some time before commercial compilers actually implement the exact C++ language, or include the Standard C++ Library as described in the standard.

Finally, here is what the transition looks like: you, the developer, and what you're going through now. You are the one evolving designs and implementations toward the emerging standard. Change will come at rates determined by your development environment, application domain, and corporate culture.

Our goal for Tools.h++ is to help you to maintain consistency in your development while moving, at your own pace, along the path of the latest C++ technology.

1.3.1 Harnessing the Standard

The primary challenge of this new version of Tools.h++ was to establish our relationship with the ANSI/ISO Standard C++ Library. Rogue Wave is committed not only to bringing our products into compliance with the standard, but to harnessing its full power. The object is to provide you with even more useful and efficient class libraries. The process of integrating our libraries with the C++ standard begins here with Tools.h++ Version 7.

For this version of Tools.h++, we have concentrated our integration efforts on the Standard C++ Library containers, often referred to as the STL or Standard Template Library. Each of the standard containers has been wrapped with a new or re-engineered Tools.h++ collection class template. You'll find a full explanation of templates in Section 11. Following are the major design goals for our integration of Tools.h++ and the Standard C++ Library, along with examples of how they are reflected in this version:

1.3.2 What We Didn't Do

Future versions of Tools.h++ will make full use of the Standard C++ Library and other newly added features of the C++ language. This version includes several areas where we have elected to wait before incorporating the latest available technology. In some cases, we're waiting until the standard library or language feature is more widely available. In other cases, frankly, we're waiting until we gain more experience with the new features to see how we can best mold them into a unified and effective whole. We want to be careful not to commit ourselves and our customers to less than optimal patterns of usage. In the meantime, we'd like to draw your attention to the following areas:


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