Although it regards the C++ dervivative of the C language as a hybrid object-oriented language when compared with Smalltalk, ParcPlace is also working on Synergy, a programming environment and set of object-oriented tools for C++ users, shortly to be released for 80386-based hardware running MS-DOS. With the exception of a very few – such as Interactive Software Engineering Inc, Goleta, California, with its Smalltalk-derived Eiffel language, and Stepstone Inc’s Objective C implementation using Smalltalk concepts, recently chosen by Steve Jobs for the NeXT machine – most software developers working on object oriented languages have agreed to remain compatible with the standard AT&T C++ compiler, first released in 1985. Due this quarter from AT&T is C++ version 2.0, set to add new functionality to the language, including multiple inheritance and member-wise assignment and initialisation. At the same time, AT&T is expected to release documentation describing the current state of the language. Speaking at a Usenix-sponsored C++ conference last year, Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy called C++ the answer to the programmer productivity environment problem. And with attendees at the event representing companies such as Apple Computer, AT&T Co, Hewlett-Packard Co, IBM, Sun and Unisys Corp, it seems that the big names in the industry are taking it seriously as well.
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