C++ Standard Evolution: Features Added in C++98, C++11, C++14, C++17, C++20, C++23

C++ Standard Evolution: Features Added in C++98, C++11, C++14, C++17, C++20, C++23

changes made to the C++ standard over the years, covering C++98, C++11, C++14, C++17, C++20, and C++23. Afterward, I’ll provide a Python script that will write this information into a CSV format that can be imported into WordPress.

Changes in C++ Standards:

1. C++98

• Released: 1998
• Key Features:
  • Standard Template Library (STL) introduced.
  • Support for templates, namespaces, and exceptions.
  • The introduction of input/output streams (iostream).
  • Type-safe memory management using new and delete.

2. C++11

• Released: 2011
• Key Features:
  • Auto keyword: Automatically deduces the variable type.
  • Range-based for loops: Simplified iteration over containers.
  • Lambda expressions: Inline, anonymous functions for cleaner code.
  • Move semantics: Optimizes the transfer of resources.
  • Smart pointers: std::shared_ptr and std::unique_ptr for safer memory management.
  • Threading support: Introduction of the <thread> library for multithreading.
  • nullptr: A new keyword to represent null pointers.
  • Static assertions: Compile-time assertions using static_assert.

3. C++14

• Released: 2014
• Key Features:
  • Generic lambdas: Allows lambdas to be templated.
  • Binary literals: You can now use binary numbers (e.g., 0b1010).
  • Return type deduction: Allows functions to infer their return types.
  • Relaxed constexpr: More flexibility in the constexpr functions.
  • std::make_unique: Factory function for std::unique_ptr.

4. C++17

• Released: 2017
• Key Features:
  • std::optional: Wraps values that may or may not be present.
  • std::variant: Type-safe union, allowing multiple types for a single variable.
  • std::any: Allows storage of any type of object.
  • Filesystem support: The <filesystem> library for working with the file system.
  • Structured bindings: Unpack tuples and pairs directly.
  • if constexpr: Compile-time conditional branches.
  • Parallel algorithms: Added parallel execution policies for standard algorithms.

5. C++20

• Released: 2020
• Key Features:
  • Concepts: Constraints for template parameters.
  • Ranges: More powerful range-based operations for iterators.
  • Coroutines: Simplified asynchronous programming.
  • Modules: New way to organize and import code, replacing header files.
  • Calendar and time zones: Comprehensive date and time handling.
  • Three-way comparison operator (<=>): Spaceship operator for easier comparison.

6. C++23

• Released: 2023 (anticipated)
• Key Features:
  • Reflection: Ability to introspect types at compile-time (partially added).
  • Pattern matching: Simplifies handling of different types.
  • Improved algorithms: More functions for manipulating containers.
  • constexpr improvements: More functions allowed in compile-time evaluation.
  • Network library: Introduction of networking capabilities for easier web communications (ongoing work).