Question

After reading an amount of C++ articles and tutorials, I often see the phrase “C++ is not C!” or some variant. If this is true, why is C++ trying to be compatible with C? Surely this just encourages C programmers to write bad C++ code? I’m only a newb in the field, so feel free to bombard me with reasons why I’m wrong in thinking that C++ should just make it’s mind up and forget C. Ell.

Answer 1

The purpose of compatibility with C is so that C++ programs can have convenient access to the billions (trillions?) of lines of existing C code in the world. It was never intended as a suggestion to code C++ as if it was C.

Peripheral objectives were:

1. Leverage the C skills that many programmers have (given that it is still one of the most widely used languages in the world).
2. Encourage the use of C++ as a better C, for: a) easing the transition to C++, and b) improve C coding practices for programmers who have no intention of going to C++.