What was the idea that led to C++?
Dr. Stroustrup: The basic idea was very simple: Combine Simula’s facilities for organizing code with C’s ability to write efficient (close to the hardware) code for systems programming. Simula contributed the essentials of object-oriented programming and C provided a machine model suitable for even the most demanding systems programming tasks. Combining those two is a way that did not force me to choose between elegance and efficiency was the key. Much has been learned and added since, so today’s C++ is a far better tool for developing software than early C++ was, and the next ISO standard C++, C++0x, will be better still. If you want to read about the aims and means of C++ and about its development, have a look at my HOPL (ACM History of Programming) papers (available from my publications page): http://www.research.att.com/~bs/papers.html.
