What to use now as VC++

From the mouth of Stan Lippman himself (everyone does know who Stan Lippman is, right? Author of Essential C++, C++ Primer, etc):

"I have a beef with some folks out there. I have spent 3 years now within the Visual C++ team. We have a dozen exceptional compiler folks – it's too bad you don’t know them, because you would be very impressed with them – their knowledge, their passion. And yet 3 years of their work on our C++ compiler – in terms of performance, in terms of correctness, in terms of robustness – oh, and in terms of the language itself – is being dismissed by our rogue group of folks who, in an emotional protest against what they must see as an attack on C++, refuse to move from Visual C++ 6, which was fine when it was released, but isn't any longer fine. you shouldn't be using it. anymore. And they persist, and you can't talk to them, because either they are angry or they are really angry. But the bottom line is, we've poured our blood into the gosh-darn compiler. we have at least a hundred people working every day to make it better. no one else in the world cares about C++ more than we do. I know, that sounds so absurd. but that's the truth of the landscape right now. whatever Microsoft may have been in the past – and people always have stories about it. Did I tell you the one where the guy from Microsoft calls Bjarne up at home and tells him that if he doesn't make the language left recursive look ahead 1 they wouldn't go ahead with a c++ compiler. who would want to work for a company like that? I mean, you'd like to see them fail. So we all have a lot of bad feelings about Microsoft. But I think a lot of that is in the past. certainly, for me, this is a very creative and genuine place to work. I spent 1.5 working on the firebird sequence of fantasia and that was all I cared about work-wise. that is what I thought about all the time. well, the people here think about C++ all the time. it's so weird. Jeff Peill knows the language better than I do now. And these Visual 6 guys don't get it. We've poured our blood into these releases. You're just being stubborn. Compilers are works in progress. you don't want to keep using an old compiler. it's not safe. it's not good for the programmers or the business. Well, that's my beef with folks – or some folks. I really have no patience with them. I'm sorry if I've offended them."

In short, from the man behind the VC++ compiler, stop using VC++6!

See also:
hxxp://blogs.msdn.com/branbray/archive/2003/11/11/51012.aspx
hxxp://blogs.msdn.com/hsutter/archive/2003/11/17/53495.aspx

[aldente]

OK, if it also produces Win32-code and is stable - why not to use it?

I just thought Microsoft would have done the same bullshit like Borland: Their "great" Delphi 8 release just compiled .NET-executables!

Of course, Delphi 2005 (Delphi 9) compiles both native win32 and .Net.

[aldente]

Yes, Delphi 9 DOES so, because the programmers either noted themselves that compiling only .NET (like in Delphi 8) is bullshit, or got to know it by their customers.

Hello all,

Interesting comments here on two platfroms. Here are my two cents on above mater:

I've been a programer for 10 years now...The first serious programing was with Borland C++ Builder 1 (since i was c fan) this was the one owesome tool.(great IDE, RAD...1 exe deployment). I was thinking to go with Microsoft Visual but after some trying i Borland way more suitable.

Then I started to work in team development, and I had to switch to Borland Delphi. The switch was simple, same vendor, different language. I worked with Delphi until 8 release. We were thinking to upgrade but we found out that 8 release is actually improvement of 7 with NET. Sadly Borland did not have time to finish Win32 support, that is why it only produces .NET.

During this period I was working also with M$ Visual C++, and i still use it.

Sorry if this post is a long one, but my point here is that complier is just a tool. For example if you need to drill something there are like a toons of vendors who supply different tools for this: BOSH, HILTY...etc. The differene between them is a performance and of course the price. Same with programing. Clients does not care which tools you use - They are interested in only one thing - applications that are easy to use and helps them to do their job.

So, if you are thinking to get back to progaming it is better to use newer techology. The .NET C++ is better, but is it worth the upgrade? If you work with .net then Yes. If not, it depends on your financial freedom. If you're have money to invest, or your employer have the money then go for it.

As for the Delphi tool, i have not played with Delphi 2005 yet. I am working with ASP.NET (C#) and what can i say...just another tool that generates an income for my life.

Just my two cents...regards to all...ASmith

[omidgl]

I think if you don't need to involve yourself with .NET and Microsoft IL, then VC++ 6 is steal the best environment for every real programmers.

[aldente]

As for the Delphi tool, i have not played with Delphi 2005 yet. I am working with ASP.NET (C#) and what can i say...just another tool that generates an income for my life.

Well, ASP.NET is maybe one of the few things, .NET is usefull for, so you don't have to use crappy php-stuff.

But for traditional Windows-programming, .NET is really shitty bullshit.

Originally Posted by omidgl

I think if you don't need to involve yourself with .NET and Microsoft IL, then VC++ 6 is steal the best environment for every real programmers.

Would be true if VC++6 could be used to compile C++ sources. Unfortunately it has such a terrible language support that I can't treat it a C++ compiler. For mainly C projects it is perfect.