(Via Lambda the Ultimate)

Bjarne Stroustrup: This paper outlines the history of the C++ programming language from the early days of its ISO standardization (1991), through the 1998 ISO standard, to the later stages of the C++0x revision of that standard (2006). The emphasis is on the ideals, constraints, programming techniques, and people that shaped the language, rather than the minutiae of language features. Among the major themes are the emergence of generic programming and the STL (the C++ standard library’s algorithms and containers). Specific topics include separate compilation of templates, exception handling, and support for embedded systems programming. During most of the period covered here, C++ was a mature language with millions of users. Consequently, this paper discusses various uses of C++ and the technical and commercial pressures that provided the background for its continuing evolution.

Eric brings up the important topic of how many spaces to type after a period.

I learned to use a typewriter on a Royal(?) portable typewriter borrowed from the English department. It was an ancient typewriter even at that time. It must be from the 1920's. It has a typeface where the little circles of the number "6" and the number "9" line up.

It was then when I learned to

• Type two spaces after a period
• Listen to the bell. Finish the word at hand when it rings and pull the return lever
• Type two spaces before and after Latin or other foreign words and mathematical symbols
• Consult the dictionary before typing a word whose spelling I'm not certain

None of these make sense on a computer anymore. And I have given up on the bell (do you know that you can still enable the bell in vi?) and the dictionary. I put mathematical symbols in dollar signs out of respect for Donald Knuth and T_EX (and all mathematicians get it).

Yet I still type two spaces after a period. I kept the habit for two reasons: i) in places where it doesn't matter the two spaces will be converted to whatever they are converted to; ii) there are still places where this conversion does not occur (notably in source files) and two spaces after a period still look better than one:

<p>Yet I still type two spaces after a period.  I kept the
habit for two reasons: i) in places where it doesn't matter
the two spaces will be converted to whatever they are
converted to; ii) there are still places where this
conversion does not occur (notably in source files) and two
spaces after a period still look better than one:</p>