Why C++ is not just an object-oriented programming language

Abstract

C++ directly supports a variety of programming styles. In this, C++ deliberately differs from languages designed to support a single way of writing programs. This paper briefly presents key programming styles directly supported by C++ and argues that the support for multiple styles is one of its major strengths. The styles presented include: traditional C-style, concrete classes, abstract classes, traditional class hierarchies, abstract classes and class hierarchies, and generic programming. To provide a context for this overview, I discuss criteria for a reasonable and useful definition of "object-oriented programming.".