Microsoft Makes Their C++ Standard Library Open-Source (STL)

[L_A_G]

I'm probably not the only one who suspects that what Microsoft is actually trying achieve with open sourcing things like this and .net core is to dump products that are more supportive of their revenue generating products rather than something that generates revenue on it's own onto the open source community. Oracle has after all been doing just that with Java and very successful with it.

Being someone who tries to think things trough pragmatically this does make quite a bit of sense for Microsoft, being an organization whose literal raison d'etre is to generate as much "value" (read: money) for their shareholders. It's also a good thing for open source as it steers more and more users and hence more resources towards open source software which simply cannot be controlled for the benefit of a particular company or platform like closed source software has been used for so many times in the not-too-distant past. Particularly by Microsoft.

As much as I'd like to hate Microsoft after all the anti-competitive embrace-extend-extinguish crap they've pulled in the 90s and early 2000s, it does very much look like the company has absolutely turned a new leaf now that Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer are all long gone from company management. In the case of Allen he's so far that you're going to need an ouija board to consult him on how to run the company.

[CochainComplex]

In the case of Allen he's so far that you're going to need an ouija board to consult him on how to run the company.

Maybe chanting together with Ballmer "Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers...." will summon him?

[uid313]

Great, that it's released under Apache 2.0 license, as it contains patent grant:
I wonder, what happened to M$, that they are open-sourcing their solutions?

The desktop is dead. The selling software model is dead. Microsoft now makes their money from Azure, Office365 subscriptions and Xbox.

[zoomblab]

So basically now all widely used implementations of C++ standard library are open source, though under different licenses? libstdc++, libc++ and now MS's STL.

That is nice of course. However the question that follows is whether there still is a reason for all of them to exist.

[Speedator]

Microsoft earns most money and focus on office(365) and azure. So it is important to open source and release tools and distros also for linux to make its azure services most attractive (like the Github deal). They see windows as a vehicle, but not as the central future or cash cow. It doesn‘t matter if you use linux if you pay for the cloud services (Office365/Azure). We may see Office on Linux. They are still consolidating their monopoly with Teams etc.

[bug77]

Microsoft makes their C++ STL available to everyone on Microsoft's hosting platform: GitHub.
Who would have thought this 5 years ago?

[ezst036]

I wonder, what happened to M$, that they are open-sourcing their solutions?

This probably has something to do with it:
Microsoft developer reveals Linux is now more used on Azure than Windows Server

https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/microsoft-developer-reveals-linux-is-now-more-used-on-azure-than-windows-server/

Point is that 5 linux users are a lot easier to alienate than 50 million linux users. Especially when a large percentage are professionals, developers, and admins who are or are becoming actively paying customers.

[uxmkt]

The goals of the Microsoft C++ Standard Library are to be conformant to spec, extremely fast, usable, and extensive compatibility.

Not a lot of goals reached yet.

[szymon_g]

Gamers don't need Windows and can get away with using Linux, Wine, & Proton for a lot of our stuff that isn't mass multiplayer.

lol. or actually anything that isn't new. sugesting that a gamer should install linux and play with wine and proton is one of the most stupid ideas i've heard today.

Professionals don't need Windows and can get away with using Linux, BSD, Solaris, etc while tossing Windows in a VM for the 2 legacy things they need Windows for.

lol again. show me a decent replacement (that works on linux natively) for a graphic designing or publishing. gimp and latex2e?

Office workers don't need Windows and can get away with any OS that has a functional desktop and web browser thanks to all the online office suites and web programs.

especially when they have to use an excel for some actual work. LO works with them in a 'great' manner.

Simply put: legacy software, office suites, games, and Photoshop don't retain the number of users like they did in the 00's and 90's since Open Source has evolved to the point to where it can actually compete and retain users that switch.

to this day linux has problems with USB memory sticks mounting and other things that other operating systems solved years ago. keep dreaming

[andreano]

Linux has problems with USB memory sticks

I blame Wine. Wine's missing low level USB support is what I have needed Windows for … twice over this decade.