Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: tblanch@lookout (Todd Blanchard)
Subject: Re: C++ Productivity
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Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 23:34:58 GMT
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Jeff Sutherland (jsutherland@BIX.com) wrote:
: >I think part of the problem people have with C++ is that its very
: >easy to get started with but very very hard to become really 
: >*good* at.  I'd have to estimate only about 5% of the so-called
: >C++ programmers I meet and code I see is truly properly designed OO.
: >
: >There is a lot of improper use of virtual, const, casting and otherwise
: >skanky stuff being done in what strives to be a very compile-time safe
: >language.
: >
: >The worst thing I can say about C++ is that hardly anybody knows it,
: >but almost everybody who ever hacked some C thinks he does.
: >
: >Todd Blanchard

: I think you make a good point.  I've always used 80% as the amount of C++
: code out there that is really C in disguise.

: Actually, the percent of bad C++ code has to be less than this.  Here are
: the mathematics.  We consistently see C++ applications taking 7 times as
: long as Smalltalk. 

I think you know more good C++ coders than I do or your standards are
lower than mine for *good* C++.  Also, I do not dispute that Smalltalk
is more productive than C++.  I also do not think Smalltalk is
appropriate for all tasks (neither is C++).  For cerain types of very
lean applications, C or C++ is preferred.  Your numbers appear to be
voodoo to me.

If I have a point to make, it is that C++ is not a bad language.  It
*is* very hard to do well and very few people working in it are really
good at it.  Smalltalk is not a bad language either.  It seems to be
easier to use which can be a huge win when you don't have a large number
of highly technical people at your disposal.

Todd Blanchard


: Jeff Sutherland
: "C++ runs slightly faster than Smalltalk but a lot later!"
: jsutherland@easel.com (via Galahad BIX blinker)
