Organization
Adds C++ Support for Common Language Infrastructure
Geneva, 6 October 2003:
Ecma International today announced the creation of a new
task group (TG5) in the organization's programming language
technical committee (TC39) to oversee development of a standard
set of language extensions to create a binding between the
ISO standard C++ programming language and Common Language
Infrastructure (CLI).
C++ is the world's most widely used cross-platform, vendor-neutral
programming language. CLI is a ISO-standardized language-neutral
runtime environment that supports garbage collection, security,
and other modern features.
By standardizing the syntax and semantics of a general
purpose binding for C++ and the CLI, Ecma TG5 will provide
the huge C++ developer community with a tool that enables
them to easily write applications that make full use of
the CLI platform, and will provide the developer community
targeting the CLI with full support for the powerful C++
language.
Jan van den Beld, Secretary General of
Ecma International, commented: "This is timely fulfillment
of an urgent market requirement, which demonstrates the
vital role of Ecma International in the innovation cycle
of programming languages, providing a platform for companies
to collaborate and deliver standards which allow both competition
and innovation to thrive."
"Widely available C++ tools in conformance with standards
help to minimize development costs such as training, skills
transfer, testing, third-party libraries and components,
source analysis tools, and application development," said
Thomas Plum, of Plum Hall, Inc. who will
serve as convener of the TG5.
Microsoft, working together with Edison Design Group and
Dinkumware, has developed and will submit full draft specifications
of a binding of the ISO/IEC 14882 Programming Language C++
to ISO/IEC 23271 (Common Language Infrastructure) in November
2003. In the following months, TG5 participants will review
the specifications and act as a liaison with appropriate
Ecma and external standards bodies to prepare for final
submission of the C++/CLI specification to the Ecma General
Assembly in 2004.
"C++ is strategically important to Microsoft. C++ continues
to be the world's dominant vendor-neutral programming language,
and its use is still growing globally. We are committed
to investing heavily in C++, and to ensuring that the thriving
C++ developer community is well represented on .NET and
has access to the opportunities standards afford," said
Herb Sutter, program manager for Microsoft
and convener of the ISO C++ standards committee. "Conformance
to open standards is vital to the success of C++ and of
.NET."
"C++/CLI will give C++ programmers first-class access to
the CLI platform. Standardizing C++/CLI through Ecma will
help ensure that the code written by C++ programmers will
be portable across the tools offered by multiple vendors,"
said Steve Adamczyk, president of Edison
Design Group. "We're pleased to be working with Ecma, Microsoft,
and other vendors on this standard."
"We are gratified that Ecma recognizes the need for full
and standardized support for the C++ language on modern
platforms and environments, and look forward to helping
move towards standardization of C++/CLI," said P.J.
Plauger, president of Dinkumware.
About Ecma International
Since its inception in 1961, Ecma International (Ecma)
has developed standards for information and communication
technology (ICT) and consumer electronics (CE). Ecma is
a not-for-profit industry association of technology developers,
vendors and users. Industry and other experts work together
in Ecma to complete standards. Ecma submits the approved
work for approval as ISO, ISO/IEC and ETSI standards.
Ecma is the inventor and main practitioner of "fast tracking"
of specifications through the standardization process in
Global Standards Bodies like the ISO. In ISO/IEC JTC 1,
Ecma has the status of an A-liaison, equivalent to a national
body without voting rights. Since its start in 1987, over
196 (more than 80%) of the 232 submissions for fast-track
processing in JTC-1 have come from Ecma International.
Main areas of standardization include: Scripting and programming
languages; Optical and Magnetic storage; High speed interconnects;
Safety, Environmental, Acoustical and Electromagnetic product
attributes; Enterprise and Proximity Communication and Networking;
and File and Volume structures. Publications can be downloaded
free of charge from http://www.ecma-international.org.
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