Bob Kline writes:

> >The first sentence of the second book recommended above (whose title
> >actually was "The Draft Standard C++ Library" when it finally appeared)
> >reads: "This book shows you how to use the library classes and functions
> >mandated by the draft ANSI/ISO Standard for the programming language C++."
> >
> >So who's right, Clamage or Plauger?  Is there or is there not a draft
> >standard?  The next paragraph of Plauger's book begins: "The watershed
> >event was the publication, in February 1994, of the draft C++ Standard
> >for informal public review."  Are the committees splitting hairs so
> >finely that "draft standard" and "draft Standard" (differing only in
> >capitalization) have two different meanings?

and Steve Clamage replies:

> Few people in the world understand the details of the standardization
> process as well as P. J. Plauger, and he certainly does better than I.
>
> Nonetheless, the C++ standardization process has not yet reached the
> "[Dd]raft [Ss]tandard" stage. The term is a technical one in the
> ANSI standardization sequence (capitalization aside). It means that
> certain registration and voting procedures have taken place.
>
> To further complicate matters, the C++ Committee is a joint ANSI and ISO
> committee. ANSI and ISO have different rules and terminology. The C++
> committee is now an ANSI "Type I" committee, a concept introduced by ANSI
> to allow coordination with ISO. ISO terminology and sequences will be
> followed by the committee, in so far as I understand the situation.
>
> Lead times in book publishing are long, and I would imagine that P. J.
> was using his crystal ball to predict the state of things when the book
> was to appear in print. If he reads this discussion, I hope he will
> comment.

It's always a touchy matter discussing a standard in progress. That's
largely why I chose publication outside the committee(s) as a
``watershed event'' in the evolution of the C++ Standard. I've been
meticulous about describing the state of that document, making no
representations that it represents any kind of official standard.
I'm sorry that Steve Clamage still quibbles over the term ``draft.''

In point of fact, the latest document is now being balloted within
ISO for registration as a Committee Draft. I describe in my book
the nature of the changes made between the Informal Review Draft
(my term for the February 1994 document circulated within ISO)
and this candidate Committee Draft (voted out of the July 1994
meeting). But I make no attempt to track the changes in specification
between the two documents.

Most of the changes represent substantial additions, as I describe
in my book. Many cannot yet be implemented, given available compiler
technology. (Many have *never* been implemented, for that reason.)
The changes to what was already in the Informal Review Draft are
fairly small in effect.

I feel the most significant addition to the Standard C++ library
that is not covered in my book is the Standard Template Library.
For that reason, and others, I have already signed a contract with
Prentice Hall to write a book on STL with Alex Stepanov, Meng Lee,
and David Musser. We hope to release it sometime in 1995.

P.J. Plauger