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> I also think the STL is the beautiful thing C++ gave us, [...] It did not. STL was given to us by HP and SGI, and then C++ adopted STL into its standard libr
by dozzie 9y ago
> I also think the STL is the beautiful thing C++ gave us, [...]
It did not. STL was given to us by HP and SGI, and then C++ adopted STL into
its standard library.
- pjmlp 9y agoAlexander Stepanov gave STL to ANSI C++ working group, after implementing it originally in Ada 83. What HP and SGI did was to provide the first C++ working implementations of it, outside the ANSI C++ working group work.
- lucidguppy 9y agoIt would be nice if the STL would be a common denominator across a few languages.
- pjmlp 9y agoWhen Java came out there were a few commercial offerings that were kind of "STL for Java", but with 1.2 Java got its own Collections API and the interest faded away.
- AnimalMuppet 9y agoBut, if I understand correctly, what HP and SGI did was basically to let Stepanov work on STL while he worked for them, and give some semi-official sanction for the STL releases. They didn't see the STL, decide that they needed to work on it, and set up an independent team to do so. And, if I understand correctly, Stroustrup saw the STL and said (paraphrased) "Yeah, that's going in."
- benlorenzetti 9y agoThanks dozzie and pjmlp, I should have credited Alexander Stepanov. He is a great programmer and educator that has impacted my CS education. What I meant was that C++ was the first widely adopted language that had memory access and sufficient generic features for the STL to be written and easily used.