Visual Studio: Microsoft Upgrades Its C++ Compiler

Microsoft has not always been on the best of terms with the open-source movement. But in an important if indirect way, it is doing its bit to help IT take an open approach to source code. Redmond has updated its C++ compiler, a component of the Visual Studio 12 IDE (integrated development environment).
The update incorporates several features of C++11, the latest version of the object-oriented language. And additional updates are planned. For robust IT departments at midsize firms, the ultimate in flexibility is writing their
own source code for needed tools, including modifying existing open-source code. For IT shops that work in a Microsoft environment, the ability to develop in that environment will be an added convenience.More Updates to Come
As Joab Jackson reports at InfoWorld, the C++ compiler upgrade was announced at the recent Microsoft Build conference. The announcement came from Herb Sutter, who doubles as a Microsoft platform evangelist and as secretary of the ISO/ANSI C++ Standards Committee.
The release is currently a compiler Community Technology Preview (CTP). Sutter cautioned that while CTP versions are "pretty stable," they should not be used for production-level software. But among the new C++ features it supports are variadic templates, explicit conversion operators, and default template arguments for function templates.
The update also represents a subtle shift in Microsoft's Visual Studio release philosophy. It is the first of what will become periodic "out-of-band" releases, updating the IDE in between major new releases. Additional new C++ features are due out in upcoming out-of-band releases early next year.
Build Your Own Tools
The C++ language, an object-oriented development of C, was first developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. It remains one of the most widely used programming languages. And by no coincidence at all, much of Microsoft's own Windows 8 and Windows RT operating systems were built in C++.
Given the wide range of readily available vendor-supplied--and open-source--tools and solutions, IT departments at midsize firms usually don't need to re-invent the wheel. But sometimes they need functionality that isn't currently offered, or comes with unwanted strings attached.
In short, writing your own code is still a basic part of IT life and a job that robust shops are not afraid to take on. Microsoft's batch compiler is by no means the only option for developing C++ source code. But if you are working in a Microsoft environment anyway, it may well provide added convenience. And it is good to see that Redmond is not forgetting the needs of developers.

updates are planned. For robust IT departments at midsize firms, the ultimate in flexibility is writing their own source code for needed tools, including modifying existing open-source code. For IT shops that work in a Microsoft environment, the ability to develop in that environment will be an added convenience.More Updates to Come
As Joab Jackson reports at InfoWorld, the C++ compiler upgrade was announced at the recent Microsoft Build conference. The announcement came from Herb Sutter, who doubles as a Microsoft platform evangelist and as secretary of the ISO/ANSI C++ Standards Committee.
The release is currently a compiler Community Technology Preview (CTP). Sutter cautioned that while CTP versions are "pretty stable," they should not be used for production-level software. But among the new C++ features it supports are variadic templates, explicit conversion operators, and default template arguments for function templates.
The update also represents a subtle shift in Microsoft's Visual Studio release philosophy. It is the first of what will become periodic "out-of-band" releases, updating the IDE in between major new releases. Additional new C++ features are due out in upcoming out-of-band releases early next year.
Build Your Own Tools
The C++ language, an object-oriented development of C, was first developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. It remains one of the most widely used programming languages. And by no coincidence at all, much of Microsoft's own Windows 8 and Windows RT operating systems were built in C++.
Given the wide range of readily available vendor-supplied--and open-source--tools and solutions, IT departments at midsize firms usually don't need to re-invent the wheel. But sometimes they need functionality that isn't currently offered, or comes with unwanted strings attached.
In short, writing your own code is still a basic part of IT life and a job that robust shops are not afraid to take on. Microsoft's batch compiler is by no means the only option for developing C++ source code. But if you are working in a Microsoft environment anyway, it may well provide added convenience. And it is good to see that Redmond is not forgetting the needs of developers.