C++ History

History of C++ language is interesting to know. Here we are going to discuss brief history of C++ language.

C++ maintains its position as one of the most prominent programming languages through its eminent features which include efficiency and robust power delivery along with flexible capabilities. Many development teams use C++ for building their systems software as well as for developing games, embedded controllers, and high-throughput applications. The development of C++ has run parallel with all major advancements in modern computing and software development.

Origins of C++:

C++ programming language was developed in 1980 by Bjarne Stroustrup at bell laboratories of AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph), located in U.S.A. The designers created C specifically for Unix systems programming requirements through low-level functionality maintenance of highest-level programming constructs.

During the late 1970s, Bjarne Stroustrup added features from Simula 67 to C while working as a Danish computer scientist at Bell Labs. The main objective behind his work involved synthesizing C's efficient nature with OOP's abstract modular systems.

• Bjarne Stroustrup is known as the founder of the C++ language.
• It was develop for adding a feature of OOP (Object Oriented Programming) in C without significantly changing the C component.
• C++ programming is "relative" (called a superset) of C, which means any valid C program is also a valid C++ program.

Let's see the programming languages that were developed before C++ language.

The Birth of "C with Classes":

Stroustrup launched his C++ language development journey in 1979. Through his work, he developed "C with Classes" which implemented C-oriented extensions by including object-oriented language constructs, such as classes and inheritance along with encapsulation features. The main objective behind C with Classes development focused on enhancing programs for complex systems without sacrificing C-like performance levels.

The core elements introduced in C with Classes included:

• Classes and Objects: It enables modular and reusable code.
• Constructors and Destructors: Automating initialization and cleanup of objects.
• Derived Classes and Inheritance: The derived class concept alongside inheritance offers programmers tools to establish hierarchical code structures.
• Stronger Type Checking: Better enforcement of data types helps reduce errors made by programmers.

The Emergence of C++ (1983):

The developer changed the name of "C with Classes" to C++ because it included many improvements beyond the original C language in 1983. C developers utilized the "++" symbolic increment operator to indicate the progression of the programming language toward C++.

The new features added to C++ after retaining C compatibility included:

• Function Overloading: Function Overloading enables C++ to define multiple functions under the same name with distinct parameters.
• Operator Overloading: It enables custom definitions of operators for user-defined types.
• References: The Reference system serves as a flexible substitute for pointers in programming contexts.
• Inline Functions: Inline Functions enhance system performance by eliminating the performance impacts from entering and exiting functions.

The First Official C++ Release (1985):

The first official C++ compiler named Cfront came out in 1985 when Stroustrup released his landmark book "The C++ Programming Language". The book achieved its status as an essential reference for both programmers and education professionals. Software engineers started using C++ at a rapid pace since it became famous as their tool for building complex applications.

Standardization and Evolution of C++:

1. C++98 (1998):

In 1998, C++ officially gained an ISO/IEC standard documentation called C++98 while continuing its development path. The Standard Template Library (STL) became an integral part of the C++98 standard, which included reusable, efficient data structures and algorithms.

Key features of C++98:

Several key features of C++  98 are as follows:

• Templates: It allows generic programming.
• The STL: The Standard Template Library (STL) included vectors as well as maps and iterators to its standardized set of components.
• Exception Handling: It improves robustness in error handling.

2. C++03 (2003):

The C++03 version served as a modest update to C++98 by resolving inconsistencies plus simplifying unclear points. C++03 introduced improved compiler capability together with improved portability features.

3. C++11 (2011) - The Modern C++ Era

The year 2011 marked a paramount advancement in C++ through the introduction of contemporary programming capabilities. The goal of this update was to achieve better system performance as well as better usability and higher developer performance rates.

Key features of C++11:

• Auto Keyword: It enables type inference.
• Lambda Expressions: It supports functional programming.
• Smart Pointers: It improves memory management.
• Move Semantics: The Move Semantics feature delivers higher performance levels through its elimination of excessive copy operations.
• Multiple Thread Support: Standard tools for thread management became available through Multiple Thread Support.

4. C++14 (2014) and C++17 (2017)

C++14 and C++17 made incremental improvements to C++11 features while adding new language features to the standard.

The C++14 version included two enhancements that improved lambda capture abilities and added better constexpr functionality.

C++17 included three main features comprising structured bindings with if constexpr statements along with filesystem support.

5. C++20 (2020) - A Game Changer:

C++20 introduced substantial progress which established itself as one of the largest upgrades ever seen in C++ history. Notable features include:

• Concepts: It improves template programming occurs through constraint-based approaches.
• Coroutines: It simplifies asynchronous programming.
• Ranges Library: The Ranges Library extends the Standard Template Library through range-based algorithms.
• Modules: It reduces the compile-time dependencies.

The Future of C++:

New updates are being developed in C++23 and upcoming standards to enhance the programming language further. The programming language maintains its emphasis on performance alongside safety features and modern design paradigms, which result in C++ being an optimal development choice.