C++ isn't used that much in GNU/Linux. The open-source movement have put it very much to display, how many serious problems C++ has compared to C. I don't want to start a discussion on C versus C++ here, I just refer to the big discussions that have been in the Linux world.
One of the big issues have been binary compatibility between different compilers. This is probably going to be solved now with the GNU compiler collection version 3, but in the Microsoft world, it's still only C that is supported in DLL API's. If you want an object oriented DLL, you have to support the COM/ActiveX standard, which is incredibly slow and a big overhead.
Additionally, languages like Java, VB, Delphi, C#, C++ builder etc. will take over where productivity is more important than using the ANSI C/C++ standards.
C/C++ will always exist, simply because there is so much code in it. My local baker (!) even has a $5 book about programming Fortran!!! I was really chocked when I saw that. It is intended to a general audience and was made in a series of books with "How to use a scanner", "How to use Word 97", "How to make a presentation using Powerpoint" etc. Some things never die.
C++ is a dying language in the market place. The percentage of programmers using C++ will drop so low, that is will become a minor language.
Borland Delphi hasn't failed in the market place. C# is the closest Microsoft ever had to Delphi, if just they provide a good GUI toolkit.
The speed of C++ and the ease of Visual Basic will draw the attention of many VB programmers, and maybe also some C++ programmers. It will never dominate any market, simply because it is made by Microsoft. But it will be a good tool for quick-and-dirty projects, and there have been many quick-and-dirty projects that have grown to enormous size, like Windows. :-) |
