Learning Standard C++ as a New Language

To get the most out of Standard C++ [C++,1998], we must rethink the way we write C++ programs. An approach to such a "rethink" is to consider how C++ can be learned (and taught). What design and programming techniques do we want to emphasize? What subsets of the language do we want to learn first? What subsets of the language do we want to emphasize in real code? This paper compares a few examples of simple C++ programs written in a modern style using the standard library to traditional C-style solutions. It argues briefly that lessons from these simple examples are relevant to large programs. More generally, it argues for a use of C++ as a higher-level language that relies on abstraction to provide elegance without loss of efficiency compared to lower-level styles.