I have a number of questions about the various versions of C++.

1) Who specifies what is C++ 1.0, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0 etc?  Is it AT&T C++?

2) Where can I find info about the differences between *all* the versions?

3) Does the ARM contain different material to Stroustrup's 2nd ed manual?

4) Is there an ANSI C++ draft document?  Does it differ from the reference
 manual in Stroustrup, 2nd edition?   If so, where is it available?

5) Is there a list of ANSI C++ proposals for extensions/changes available?

Thanks for any help.

--

David Spuler
James Cook University of North Queensland, Australia

spuler@coral.cs.jcu.edu.au (David Spuler) writes:

>1) Who specifies what is C++ 1.0, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0 etc?  Is it AT&T C++?

As commonly used, these (plus 2.1) are version numbers of particular
releases of C++ compilers from AT&T.  Other vendors will sometimes cite
these version numbers in making compatibility claims.  As far as I know,
there is no definition of what precisely these vesion numbers mean
except for the AT&T compilers themselves.  (That is, there are manuals
for the various versions, but the compilers behave differently in some
ways from the documentation.  Compilers and documents all have bugs.)

>2) Where can I find info about the differences between *all* the versions?

There is probably nothing definitive.  The ARM, and Stroustrup's
"C++ Programming Language" 2nd edition, and Lippman's "C++ Primer" 2nd
edition each have appendices discussing the evolution of the language.
The "Primer" explicitly discusses the differences between 2.0 and 3.0.
This leaves 2.1 sort of swinging in the breeze.

>3) Does the ARM contain different material to Stroustrup's 2nd ed manual?

Yes, and Stroustrup 2 contains material not in the ARM.  S2 contains
an appendix which is the reference material (sans commentary) from
the ARM.  I believe that some errors have been corrected.

>4) Is there an ANSI C++ draft document?  Does it differ from the reference
> manual in Stroustrup, 2nd edition?   If so, where is it available?
>5) Is there a list of ANSI C++ proposals for extensions/changes available?

The ANSI C++ committee documents are available only to members of the
committee.  (Anyone may join and receive copies of everything*.)  There
is no "Draft Standard" yet, but only a working document which has been
updated 6 times per year.  It started out as the reference material from
the ARM (sans commentary).  It has gradually been worked on to clarify
and modify various language issues.  Many parts of it have not yet been
scrutinized, and entirely new sections have yet to be added to it.

The Draft Standard, when ready, will be made broadly available for
public comment.  It will go through as many revisions as are needed
to achieve consensus.  We intend for material to accompany it which
will explain which proposals were accepted and which were rejected
along with the reasons why.

(*Organizations may join, and have multiple members.  The organization
gets one copy of printed documents, which it may copy and distribute
internally.  Each individual can join email discussions.)
--

Steve Clamage, TauMetric Corp, steve@taumet.com