Yes, the idea of using modules is nothing new. It's old-school and well-proven. Many people have argued about adding pascal-like module support to C at some poi

Yes, the idea of using modules is nothing new. It's old-school and well-proven. Many people have argued about adding pascal-like module support to C at some point or another at the coffee machine. But having enough (political) momentum to actually change C(++), and overcome extreme inertia and calcification is new. LLVM is the greatest thing to happen to compilers in a long time, it really opened up compiler development like GCC somehow never did (see http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/the-design-of-llvm/240001128 http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/the-design-of... for a likely explanation). And having a giant like Apple behind it helps, of course.