Summary

Myths related to C++ programming are shaped by the language’s evolving history through time, the differences and various levels of mastery between the users of the language, and psychological needs within the developer community. Early C++ compilers, which often generated less optimal code compared to modern compilers, contributed to myths about the language’s inefficiency and the necessity of manual optimization, such as rewriting entire routines using platform-specific assembly languages.

As compilers and language features have advanced, these myths persist, sometimes overshadowing modern best practices. This, combined with a culture of elitism and a sense of mastery among C++ programmers, reinforces outdated perceptions, even as C++ continues to be seen as a powerful and versatile language for serious, performance-critical applications.

In the upcoming chapter, we will host a beauty pageant of programming languages, quickly eliminating all but our favorite...