Re: Ada vs C++

[dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)]

James White says

<<The ability of C++ compilers to infer template instantiations may be
dangerous, but it allows the construction of incredibly powerful
interfaces. Combined with the ability to inline functions, you can write
strange constructions called "expression templates" and "template
metaprograms" that perform optimizations that are extremely difficult or
impossible for a compiler to perform on its own.

Ada may have advantages over C++, but only C++ allows these incredibly
powerful programming techniques. Unfortunately, the techniques are also
incredibly complicated and incredibly ugly.>>


So, we see from the above (if you believe it), that C++ is the way to
go if you want something that is incredibly powerful, incredibly complicated
and incredibly ugly.

Sometimes ones friends are ones worst enemies :-)

Seriously, I think this quest after "power" in languages, rather than
basic functionality, is misguided. An important ingrediant in achieving
reliability is to keep things simple at all levels.

You say that you can produce wonderful interfaces with this amazing
capability. What is interesting is to look at such an interface, and
then ask how that interface would be reflected and implemented in
other languages. Specific examples typically show that such claims
are simply inflated and have little substance!