C++ Compilers

[Saddam Hussein]

Can someone please tell me about which is the best C++ compiler in
terms of compliance to the ISO/IEC standard?

I have heard that Comeau C++ is pretty good in this regard? Do you
have an opinion on this? How does it compare to g++ and VC++ in terms
of compliance?

Regards,
Saddam.

[David B. Held]

"Saddam Hussein" <ve************@hotmail.com> wrote

Is your name really "Saddam Hussein"?

in message news:6a*************************@posting.google.co m...
Can someone please tell me about which is the best C++
compiler in terms of compliance to the ISO/IEC standard?

I have heard that Comeau C++ is pretty good in this regard?
Is that a statement or a question? Yes, Comeau is very
conforming, and is allegedly the only compiler which
implements all of standard C++. Usually, testing code
against the online version is a good way to see what the
standard has to say about the code.
Do you have an opinion on this?
If we didn't, would you really want us to reply and say so?
How does it compare to g++ and VC++ in terms
of compliance?

I think gcc 3.3 is pretty darned good. It also works out-of-
the box on most *nixes. Comeau uses some other system
compiler for the back end. gcc is probably still a little
behind Comeau, but you'll be very hard pressed to find
some useful, legal C++ that can't be made to work on gcc.
VC++ has definitely made some improvements since 6.5,
but in my opinion, it's not really there yet. It's my impression
that people still use it because they have to, not because
they want to (except for those that seem to like the IDE).
Don't forget about Metrowerks, Intel, Borland, and all the
other compilers out there. Supposedly Borland is working
on a highly conforming compiler that you can look at in their
CBX preview. I haven't gotten it yet, so I can't say how good
it is.

Dave

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[Thomas Matthews]

Saddam Hussein wrote:

Can someone please tell me about which is the best C++ compiler in
terms of compliance to the ISO/IEC standard?

I have heard that Comeau C++ is pretty good in this regard? Do you
have an opinion on this? How does it compare to g++ and VC++ in terms
of compliance?
What about other compilers: Borland, Metware, Arm, Green Hills,
Solaris and Sun?

Why is the PC the only platform?

See my rant in the Welcome.txt link below.
Regards,
Saddam.

--
Thomas Matthews

C++ newsgroup welcome message:
http://www.slack.net/~shiva/welcome.txt
C++ Faq: http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite
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alt.comp.lang.learn.c-c++ faq:
http://www.raos.demon.uk/acllc-c++/faq.html
Other sites:
http://www.josuttis.com -- C++ STL Library book

[Jerry Coffin]

In article <hi******************@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com >,
Th**********************@sbcglobal.net says...

[ ... ]

I have heard that Comeau C++ is pretty good in this regard? Do you
have an opinion on this? How does it compare to g++ and VC++ in terms
of compliance?
What about other compilers: Borland, Metware, Arm, Green Hills,
Solaris and Sun?

At least to my knowledge, Arm, Solaris and Sun aren't compilers -- Arm
and Sun are companies and Solaris is an operating system.

Borland and Green Hills are both substantially inferior to Comeau in
terms of conformance. Metaware probably is as well, but I haven't
looked recently enough to be sure.
Why is the PC the only platform?
The _only_ compiler he mentioned that's restricted to the PC is VC++;
both Comeau and g++ are available for a wide variety of platforms.
See my rant in the Welcome.txt link below.

IMO, you'd do well to rant a bit less and think a bit more.

In the end, you're probably right: he probably is interested in a
compiler for the platform he's using, and anybody with a minimal
knowledge of statistics can guess that's probably from MS. While I can
sympathize to a degree with your apparent wish to advocate for platform
of your choice rather than his, it's clearly not topical here.

--
Later,
Jerry.

The universe is a figment of its own imagination.

[P.J. Plauger]

"Jerry Coffin" <jc*****@taeus.com> wrote in message
news:MP************************@news.clspco.adelph ia.net...

Borland and Green Hills are both substantially inferior to Comeau in
terms of conformance. Metaware probably is as well, but I haven't
looked recently enough to be sure.

Don't know why you put Green Hills in this list. They too use the
EDG front end, same as Comeau. It's true they haven't shipped the
latest version from EDG that implements export templates, but I
have trouble with the notion that their front end is 'substantially
inferior' to the latest. If you're talking about code generator bugs,
I've found very few of them (and Green Hills knows about them, of
course). And if you're talking about the library, I have reasons to
believe that the one shipped by Green Hills is completely conforming.
You can get such a library for Comeau, but it's an add-on.

BTW, Borland has licensed both EDG and Dinkumware technology, so you
can expect some highly conforming offerings from them in the near
future.

P.J. Plauger
Dinkumware, Ltd.
http://www.dinkumware.com

[Jerry Coffin]

In article <x6**************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net>, pj*@dinkumware.com
says...

[ ... ]

Don't know why you put Green Hills in this list. They too use the
EDG front end, same as Comeau. It's true they haven't shipped the
latest version from EDG that implements export templates, but I
have trouble with the notion that their front end is 'substantially
inferior' to the latest.
You're right -- "substantial" is overstating things, and I apologize for
that. I think pretty much everybody involved would agree that it's
inferior, but normally the degree of difference is quite small.
BTW, Borland has licensed both EDG and Dinkumware technology, so you
can expect some highly conforming offerings from them in the near
future.

I look forward to seeing it -- at one time I was quite a fan of Borland.

--
Later,
Jerry.

The universe is a figment of its own imagination.

[David B. Held]

"P.J. Plauger" <pj*@dinkumware.com> wrote in message
news:x6**************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

[...]
BTW, Borland has licensed both EDG and Dinkumware
technology, so you can expect some highly conforming
offerings from them in the near future.

Wow, they didn't make you sign an NDA about this?? That's
more info than Borland would ever release through official
channels. It's good news, no doubt, but too little too late
for people who are married to the VCL. It also explains
why they are moving to a pure C++ GUI framework.

Dave

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[P.J. Plauger]

"David B. Held" <dh***@codelogicconsulting.com> wrote in message
news:bn**********@news.astound.net...

"P.J. Plauger" <pj*@dinkumware.com> wrote in message
news:x6**************@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

[...]
BTW, Borland has licensed both EDG and Dinkumware
technology, so you can expect some highly conforming
offerings from them in the near future.
Wow, they didn't make you sign an NDA about this?? That's
more info than Borland would ever release through official
channels.

Steve Adamczyk, President of Edison Design Group, and I will
be giving a joint presentation on C/C++ standards at Borcon
on Monday, 3 November. Borland certainly isn't making a secret
about their interest in standards conformance these days, or
who they're working with to improve it. Other details about
their products and release plans are, of course, for Borland
to disclose.
It's good news, no doubt, but too little too late
for people who are married to the VCL. It also explains
why they are moving to a pure C++ GUI framework.

Just watch for their annouoncements and keep an open mind.

P.J. Plauger
Dinkumware, Ltd.
http://www.dinkumware.com

[Greg Comeau]

In article <6a*************************@posting.google.com> ,
Saddam Hussein <ve************@hotmail.com> wrote:

Can someone please tell me about which is the best C++ compiler in
terms of compliance to the ISO/IEC standard?

I have heard that Comeau C++ is pretty good in this regard? Do you
have an opinion on this? How does it compare to g++ and VC++ in terms
of compliance?

Choosing Comeau C++ with the Dinkumware library will give you
the compliance it seems you are seeking, and both are available
for a number of platforms.
--
Greg Comeau/4.3.3:Full C++03 core language + more Windows backends
Comeau C/C++ ONLINE ==> http://www.comeaucomputing.com/tryitout
World Class Compilers: Breathtaking C++, Amazing C99, Fabulous C90.
Comeau C/C++ with Dinkumware's Libraries... Have you tried it?