Music Programming with the new Features of Standard C++

Object-oriented programming using C++ classes is established practice in the general programming community and is beginning in computer music applications (Chaudhary, Freed et al. 1988; Chaudhary 1998). However, large components of computer music systems are still commonly written in the C programming language, either because object-orientation is felt unnecessary or more often because of efficiency concerns. Such concerns are central to successful implementations of reactive performance-oriented computer music systems. By judicious use of new features of the recently established ISO Standard C++ (Becker 1998; Stevens 1998), real-time computer music applications may be developed that are more efficient and reliable than typical C programs, easier to understand and write, and easier to optimize for a particular operating environment. This paper reviews new features of ISO C++ relevant to reactive music system programming and illustrates by example a new programming style for musical applications that exploits unique strengths of C++.