How are you using C++11 today?

Question

This is a question in two parts, the first is the most important and concerns now:

• Are you following the design and evolution of C++11? What blogs, newsgroups, committee papers, and other resources do you follow?
• Even where you're not using any new features, how have they affected your current choices?
• What new features are you using now, either in production or otherwise?

The second part is a follow-up, concerning the new standard once it is final:

• Do you expect to use it immediately? What are you doing to prepare for C++11, other than as listed for the previous questions?
• Obviously, compiler support must be there, but there's still co-workers, ancillary tools, and other factors to consider. What will most affect your adoption?

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Edit: The original really was too argumentative; however, I'm still interested in the underlying question, so I've tried to clean it up and hopefully make it acceptable. This seems a much better avenue than duplicating—even though some answers responded to the argumentative tone, they still apply to the extent that they addressed the questions, and all answers are community property to be cleaned up as appropriate, too.

Answer 1

Learning about the features coming in for C++0x was interesting, in particular when I realized I was already using some of them via C++ TR1. So far the extended for ("foreach"), static_assert and the improvements in <functional> are the ones I'm using the more in C++0x programs.

It has also taught me a bit about code reuse. Trying to reduce the amount of code I have to change to adapt to C++0x, and at the same time preserve the code compatible with C++-pre-0x as much as I can (for eg.: library stuff) has taught me to integrate some C++0x fixes and elements to my pre-C++0x toolbox; in particular extending numeric_limits<> to include the const_ members, adding nullptr emulation, adding default_delete and similar constructs, and making use of the (apparently often forgotten, as I've not found code using it besides mine) [slist|forward_list].

I'd say using C++0x today has helped me better continue to use C++-pre-0x today. I'm not sure I'll be taking the leap to "full" C++0x anytime soon, considering Boost helps to cover some ground there. And that I don't intend to touch regexes or threads with C++ in a long, long time.

Answer 2

Yes when toying arround on my own code that doesn't have the pretention to go out in the nature.

No when I code something that some people will use on older compilers.

Answer 3

Depends. I'm getting ready to use certain C++0x features in my master's thesis (although so far I've stuck with C++03 compilers mostly while waiting for VS2010b2)

I wouldn't use it in actual professional production work yet, though. For that, I'd want to wait until the standard had been finalized, and in the case of MSVC at least, until the compiler had been released in a non-beta version.

Answer 4

I'm using the TR1 (regex, unordered_map, unordered_set...) and some boost features that'll be in the next standard like (hopefully) lexical_cast... everyday, not just today :)

Answer 5

for now, all I'm using is auto and decltype, since most of my code doesn't use anything necessitating r-value references or things of the like, and I'm quite satisfied with auto for now(beats declaring a an iterator of a vector of maps)

Answer 6

New job this year, so I willingly changed sides to the .NET/C# world. Most of the gripes I had with C++ are just non-existant in C#. They did a lot of things right (d'oh! Me praising MS)

I think C++ has become a monster, and when I last looked at it C++0x appeared to grow the monster instead of slimming it down to the really necessary subset.

Just my two cents for a subjective question ;)

Answer 7

No.

All my application software is developed in Java. All my quick-and-dirty code is done in Python. All my low-level work is done in C. I don't generally use C++ (hence it hasn't affected me).

If I did use C++, I'd treat c++0x like I'm treating C1x - I'm making sure my code won't break but I'm not going to use the new features until the standard is done and dusted.

As to whether I'll use new features as soon as the standard ratifies, no. The process will be a gradual one. As maintenance gets rolled out for my current applications, I may add it, depending on the likely benefit.

Even new applications that I write will require a need for the new language features before I consider using those feautures.

Answer 8

No, but I would like to, especially for the lambda functionality.

Answer 9

I'm not using C++0x today, because it will lead to losing code portability. Because there is no C++0x Standard today.

Answer: No
Reason: code portability

Answer 10

No, because it's not fully implemented on the compilers I use.

When C++0x comes out, and Visual Studio 2010 is fully released, along with a "matching" g++, I will use C++0x when I can. This is likely because I frequently start new projects (I make games).

Although I have an existed code-base, it changes every time I figure out a way to do something better; change isn't an obstacle for me. Taking advantage of C++0x would just be another change.

You'll find different opinions with larger code-bases. Some places prefer code to look uniform, and that means spotty C++0x isn't an option: they'd either have to convert the entire thing to take advantage of C++0x, or not use it.

Other places might encourage the use of C++0x features, and in spare time try to fix up older code to match.

And other places, like me, might immediately want to take advantage of all C++0x has to offer.

The answer is: it depends.

Answer 11

No, I'm still using VC6 most of the time :(, won't get on to C++0x until 2020 at the earliest (perhaps I should change company?)

Answer 12

I am using static_assert, decltype, and, occasionally, r-value references

Answer 13

Can't guess how many are interested in the new C++0x and I am pretty sure that everyone who knows C++ and uses it is curious and eager for more news about it.

I started using everything new from C++0x as soon as it was implemented from g++. Still for small non portable projects. Why? - People constantly telling me to forget about c++ and switch totally to a scripting language to gain faster code developing and forget about memory management. However, my best experience and knowledge is in c++. I know RAII and use Boost library everyday. Now, the new features make me write much faster then before. Knowing that rvalues are here, pointers(even the smart) disappeared from the code. STL algorithms with lambdas just rock and initilizer lists make me so happy. Auto keyword is furious.

So, my primary reason to use C++0x now is speed of development.

Answer 14

unordered_map. It should've been obvious when map was originally specified that not everyone would want to pay the cost of sorting their associative container keys but, oh well, at least we finally have a completely standardised STL container for it.

I'm also using the threading library and other stuff. Haha, I'm an early adopter! I'm not employed and I don't work directly with anyone so I can basically do as I like with these things. :)

Answer 15

I'm using lots of C++0x, in particular variadic templates and functions, auto and decltype, and rvalue references.

While things can be a little fun, with g++ 4.5 and Visual Studio 10, these features are now fairly stable and work the same on both compilers.

Software projects I am starting now probably won't be released for a year or so, and by then I expect these new compilers to available as standard.