08/01/1990 09:00 AM
Computer Science
C++ is an object-oriented imperative programming language that provides low-level access to the machine and efficient run-time code. C++ provides access to dynamically allocated storage in a way that allows class designers to create customized memory allocators and deallocators. Unlike Eiffel and Modula-3, C++ does not provide garbage collection. The benefits of garbage collection are substantial: rapid-prototyping and runtime efficiency. However, it has not been clear that garbage collection could be provided for C++ in a way that is consistent with the language\'s design goals. We argue that garbage collection should be an option for C++ programmers. We cite an implementation that demonstrates that it can be provided in a way that is consistent with the C++ design goals and philosophy.
