Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hplsla!jima
From: jima@hplsla.HP.COM (Jim Adcock)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Save CPP!
Message-ID: <6590082@hplsla.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Dec 88 18:22:24 GMT
References: <5202@mit-vax.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Lines: 32

Save Your Breath!

-- I have yet to see anybody actually argue to prohibit use
   of cpp.  What I (and others) argue is that if you commonly
   see lots of programmers using cpp to do common every day
   tasks, those tasks would better be built into the compiler,
   which can better do error detection and optimization.

   The prime example being: #include "yourSuperClass.h"

   Which ends up taking "forever" just to "compile" all the
   "#include *.h"'s, and programmers have to play lots of
   games with the .h files to "optimize" the amount of time
   to compile them, and not include them multiple times, 
   etc.  And your class writing activities get split between
   two files, the main class file and that class's .h files,
   and you keep having to reconcile the two files.

   Whereas, languages that have "import" and "export" features
   defined don't need separate .h files, typically the definition
   section of class is kept in a "compiled" form within the .o
   file for the class, and you are automatically guaranteed that
   the definitions are only included once, and are "precompiled",
   so you don't have to recompile these definitions everytime
   you want to use a class.  And since the ".h" type information
   is automatically exported from the export section of your main
   class file, you don't have to work with two separate files for
   each class.

   Why don't we discuss what needs or doesn't need to go into
   C++ rather than worrying about cpp?  Who can stop you from
   using cpp if you want to?