Article by Ayman Alheraki in September 23 2024 04:48 PM
In the world of programming, C++ stands as one of the greatest languages that has radically impacted modern software development. But how was this great language born? What were the circumstances that led to its creation? Bjarne Stroustrup, the creator of C++, narrates the full story in his book "The Design and Evolution of C++", which details his unique journey that turned C++ from a mere idea into a language with global influence.
In the early 1980s, Bjarne Stroustrup was working on his Ph.D. thesis at the University of Cambridge, where he faced significant programming challenges in developing complex and large-scale simulation programs. During this time, he was using the language "Simula," one of the first languages to support Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). Stroustrup was impressed with Simula’s ability to organize complex programs through the use of classes and inheritance, but what Simula lacked was the high efficiency required for performance-sensitive applications.
On the other hand, the C language, developed by Dennis Ritchie, was known for its fast execution speed and efficient use of resources. Stroustrup realized that the ideal solution was to combine the best of both worlds: the efficiency of C with the high-level organization provided by Simula.
One of the key skills Stroustrup acquired during his Ph.D. studies was the ability to develop compilers. He learned how to design programming languages and transform code into machine-executable instructions. These skills were the cornerstone on which the idea of developing a new language combining C and Simula was built.
After gaining the necessary knowledge, Stroustrup decided to use these skills to develop a new language that would give programmers the ability to control performance without sacrificing organization or ease of programming.
In 1979, Stroustrup began working on a language he initially called "C with Classes," which was a direct extension of the C language. The core idea was to add OOP features, such as classes and inheritance, to C without affecting its performance or compatibility with existing C code.
The goal of C++ was not to introduce an entirely new language, but to improve C, making it a more flexible and powerful tool. This combination made C++ a practical language that could be used in a wide range of applications, from embedded systems to large-scale software.
One of the main challenges Stroustrup faced was how to introduce new features like overloading and user-defined functions without affecting the language's efficiency. It was essential to maintain the high performance of C while adding features that made programming more flexible and easier to handle complexity.
It was also crucial to keep C++ compatible with C so developers could use existing C code with the new improvements of C++. This backward compatibility was a key factor in the success of C++.
What distinguishes C++ is not only its efficiency and tools but also its flexibility, making it adaptable to any type of application. Whether you are developing an operating system, a simulation program, or even a video game, C++ has always been able to provide the optimal solution. This adaptability led to its widespread use in various industrial and academic fields.
C++ evolved from Bjarne Stroustrup’s need for a language that combined the efficiency of C with the flexibility of Simula. His expertise in compiler development and language design helped him achieve this vision. What started as an extension of C has grown into one of the most influential programming languages in the world. Through his story, we learn the importance of combining performance with flexibility in the design of programming languages, which is what has made C++ a language that remains relevant and impactful to this day.
References:
Bjarne Stroustrup. The Design and Evolution of C++.
Bjarne Stroustrup. Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++.
