FAQ 5.03 What are some of the benefits of using C for OO programming?

FAQ 5.03 What are some of the benefits of using C++ for OO programming?

Large user community, multiparadigm language, performance, and legacy code access.

C++ is an object-oriented programming language with a very broad base of users. This large and thriving user community has led to high-quality compilers and other development tools for a wide range of systems. It has also led to the availability of learning aids, such as books, conferences, bulletin boards, and organizations that specialize in training and consulting. With that much support, investing in C++ is a relatively safe undertaking.

C++ is a multiparadigm language. This allows developers to choose the programming style that is right for the task at hand. For example, a traditional procedural style may be appropriate for performing a simple task such as writing the code within a small member function.

C++ software can be performance and memory efficient, provided it is designed properly. For example, well-designed, object-oriented software is normally comprehensible and therefore amenable to performance tuning. In addition, C++ has low-level and often dangerous facilities that allow a skilled C++ developer to obtain appropriate levels of performance.

C++ is (mostly) backward compatible with C. This is useful in very large legacy systems where the migration to OO normally occurs a few subsystems at a time rather than all at once. In particular, C++'s backward compatibility makes it relatively inexpensive to compile legacy C code with a C++ compiler, allowing the old, non-OO subsystems to coexist with the new OO subsystems. Furthermore, simply compiling the legacy C code with a C++ compiler subjects the non-OO subsystems to the relatively stronger type-safety checks of a C++ compiler. In today's quality-sensitive culture, this makes good business sense.