Re: A little disappointed

From: Alwyn (alwyn_at_blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: 11/29/04

  • Next message: Alwyn: "Re: A little disappointed" 
    Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 13:41:22 GMT

    On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 22:27:39 +0000, Anthony Borla wrote:

    > "Alwyn" <alwyn@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
    > news:pan.2004.11.28.12.49.33.431401@blueyonder.co.uk...
    >> On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 07:33:24 +1100, David White wrote:
    >>
    >> Pointers have been called 'the gotos of data' in that they
    >> introduce pitfalls for the unwary and are a source of
    >> programming errors.
    >>
    >
    > True.
    >
    > However, I'd suggest one way of improving matters is to make the unwary more
    > wary via eduaction / training rather than teaching avoidance [or as some
    > languages have done, disallow programmer access to the facility, thus
    > forcing avoidance].

    Well, the modern way of teaching C++ seems to be to introduce it as a
    higher-level language, without touching on pointers at all, or leaving
    them till a later stage of the learning process. This is the approach
    taken by Koenig and Moo in *Accelerated C++*, and also, I believe, by
    Glassborow in his beginners' book. Of course, we all know that C++ has
    pointers, which are treated almost identically to those of C, and so
    cannot be a real high-level language, but with its references and standard
    library, it makes a passable attempt at imitating one.

    Ideally, even an experienced C++ programmer is recommended never to handle
    raw pointers but rather use them wrapped up in so-called smart pointers.
    Since the only thing approaching a 'smart pointer' in the current
    standard is the fragile 'auto_ptr', one must either use a third-party
    library or invent one's own.

    Alwyn
     

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