I once sort of knew C++. Now when I try to read sophisticated C++ code I find myself diving into many remote crannies of the language—consulting documentation that is poorly organized for reference. I am seldom thwarted by any single quest but after multiple dives I still find there are yet more; I fail to sense progress. It is in part a psychological problem.

Just now I decided to learn about C++ strings, which is a standard library facility. Chapter 20 of the above book, titled “Strings”, illustrates language extension rather than strings. This page promises to tell all, but the “hello world” of strings is rejected by gcc for lack of a definition of “string”. Perhaps the new world of name-spaces has struck again and broken many programs. Perhaps a fancy complex suggestion scheme in gcc could propose upgrades to old programs, and new programs written to old documentation.

General Complaining about software technologies.