Where can I look at the C++ standard

Question

I want to use STL with the current program I'm working on and the vendor doesn't support what I feel is a reasonable STL, working is not my idea of reasonable. I have been unable to find a C++ Standard or an STL standard that is not just an API that leaves me wondering if my interpretation is correct or if the vendor interpretation is correct. I've already spent a great deal of time at SGI's site. Any reccomendations? Also, is there any document that's not an API that would be considered the standard?

Answer 1

The Standard is available as a PDF for ANSI.org. ($18 last time I checked, downloadable). $18 for a downloadable PDF was considered a breakthrough, since previously ANSI only sold it standards in hardcopy form, for several thousand dollars a copy. (Normally, ANSI standards have a very limit market -- only motorcycle helmet manufacturers are going to buy the ANSI Standard for motorcycle helmets etc), and Standard sales was the primary way ANSI financed it's operation.

Each national standards body in ISO can make the Standard available as they see fit. I'm told British Standards had made a deal to publish it in book form, but I don't know it taht ever came about.

Answer 2

The draft of the current C++0x standard is available from this page and the official homepage of the C++ standards committee is here.

Answer 3

i googled "C++ ansi standard" and clicked the first result

What's available for free on the Internet?

The C++ standard went through two Committee Drafts (CDs) which were made available for public inspection and comment. Changes made to the second CD after the public comment period were submitted to the member bodies for a vote and became the official standard. CD2 of the C++ standard is very similar, but not exactly the same, as the final standard.

body of a draft (see directory listing for TOC etc)

Answer 4

Information on where to get the current standard document:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/81656/where-do-i-find-the-current-x-standard#83763

Other responses in that question have information on downloads of various drafts of the standards which can be obtained free (the actual ratified standards cannot be obtained free).

Answer 5

The book's ISBN is 978-0470846742, if you're interested in treeware. It's quite up to date (includes the Technical Corrigendum). You are right in suspecting it's the definitive resource when arguing with compiler vendors. The standard doesn't prescribe performance, but it does put upper bounds on the big-O complexity of many algorithms