Hmm - about manifest/enum

[James Dennett]

Walter Bright wrote:
>> Most C++-users I know refuse to even acknowledge that C++ is bad.
> 
> Interestingly, many C++ users I know will not publicly acknowledge the
> flaws in C++. Off the record, though, they say very different things.
> People do not want to damage their careers built up around C++. There
> are some pretty high level C++ experts who have been privately very
> helpful to me in explaining how to do things right.

That is interesting.  One of the things I've found almost unique
about C++, of widespread programming languages, is that its experts
are absolutely willing to discuss weaknesses of the language, and
not to pretend that it's perfect, or to spend excessive time
denigrating other languages (which also have their strengths and
weaknesses).  C++ is a very open language, though unfortunately
it's too big and complex for anyone to master all of it, and its
big and complex enough that many mistakenly think they understand
it.

However: saying "C++ is bad" is too simplistic to be useful.
C++ is not beautiful; however, it's immensely useful and powerful.
The same could be said for Perl (which takes it to a whole new
level).  C++ is flawed; so are all other programming languages.
There's no point wasting time debating whether (any) language is
"good" or "bad" -- it's necessary to speak in terms of specific
pros and cons, in specific contexts.

-- James