[OT] Re: [Firebird-devel] New Visual Studio .Net will include new C++ compiler

[Mike N. <ta...@al...>]

Leyne, Sean wrote:

> To add more to the MS VC++ vs Watcomm vs Mingw debate...

This is was no addition to the debate. It was a press release. At that, it
was about as technically correct as if Firebird got press like:

   New Firebird will include new database engine

It's only evolution of existing code.

What I do believe _is_ worth noting, is the irony in:

> a C++ compiler that is for the
> first time largely compliant with a standards set down by the
> International Organization for Standardization (ISO) nearly six years
> ago.

It's like saying "This time they have _almost_ managed to create a
monkeywrench that fits international bolts. Not quite, but almost". Nice
display of MS's competence and how much they care about international
standards...

Besides, reading MS' own NG's you'll see that there are still (sometimes
even obvious) bugs that they have stated "Sorry, too late for 7.1. Maybe in
an upcoming release". Knowing this, and experiance suggests to assume malice
when dealing with MS, it seems this is just history repeating itself. The
difference is that the major version number is 7, not 4.

Sure, if counting all C tests also, maybe 7.1 actually get close to 98%
compliance. So what? If it has bugs prohibiting it to translate legal C++,
and at the same time happily chews non-conforming C++, it's still buggy.


/Mike

Would you buy a shiny new Ford with shiny new Firestone tyres just because
they said "New! Improved! Better!"? I wouldn't.