Abstract:
Our approach is possible only because C++, and our understanding of it, has had time to mature. That maturity has
let us ignore many of the low-level ideas that were the mainstay of earlier C++ programs and programmers.
The ability to ignore details is characteristic of maturing technologies. For example, early automobiles broke down so
often that every driver had to be an amateur mechanic. It would have been foolhardy to go for a drive without
knowing how to get back home even if something went wrong. Today's drivers don't need detailed engineering
knowledge in order to use a car for transportation. They may wish to learn the engineering details for other reasons,
but that's another story entirely.
