What are the main C / C++ specifications

Question

After there was a misunderstanding of "C/C++ programmers" with the a non-mentioned/existing "C/C++ language", and eventually getting the question closed, I decided to void it.

I had voted to delete it, and planned to split the question in two (C language specification, compilers and their version diffs, and C++ language specs, compilers and their version diffs), but it turns out a question with (ill formed) answers can't be deleted.

That was a big turn off for my SO experience... can't reformfulate a wrongly-closed ill-answered question... ouch.

Answer 1

The ISO C working group would be a good start: http://www.open-std.org/JTC1/SC22/WG14/. But it's pretty hard to find anything on there.

Answer 2

There is no such thing as the "C/C++" language. The two have completely different language standards and differ in use in many, many ways. If you want to understand either C or C++ I suggest (and this is true for any language);

• read a book authored by one of the originators of the language. For C this would be Kernighan and Ritchie 2nd Ed, and for C++, Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language, 3rd Ed.

• when you are comfortable with the language, get a copy of the language standard.

And can I also say that in all my time using the internet, I've never found an online resource for C++ that could approach the quality of the available paper documentation.

Answer 3

Wikipedia's articles on C and C++ have good references.