Thread: iostream or iostream.h?

I see a lot of people talking about the differences between:
#include <iostream>
and
#include <iostream.h>

What are the differents and whats the correct choice and why?
Thanks!

>> whats the correct choice

iostream.

along with one of the following:

using namespace std;
OR
using std::cout;
using std::cin;
using std::endl;
//etc. etc. ; with whatever else you are using

OR

std::cout << std::endl; //for example

>>why?
it's standard.

check the faq, i think it may be there, not sure.

sorry the question wasn't in the FAQ.

"Bull$$$$! Actually check the standard before you attempt to use it to ``prove'' someone wrong!

No thanks. My life doesn't hinge on the semantics of the standard.

Originally posted by 7stud
"Bull$$$$! Actually check the standard before you attempt to use it to ``prove'' someone wrong!

No thanks. My life doesn't hinge on the semantics of the standard.

it can, won't necessarily, but can.

Really? So, if you follow the new standard for header files instead of the old deprecated method included for backwards compatability, you could actually die?

lol

Originally posted by 7stud
Really? So, if you follow the new standard instead of the old deprecated method included for backwards compatability, you could actually die?

lol

ooh, let's go for the sarcasm. I thought your statement was more based on, for example, work. Depending what you are coding, the standard can be relied upon.

lol

Greetings,

The thing is, if you are using <iostream> you should use <cstring> if you are using the old C string routines. <string.h> is only in the standard for the same reason <iostream.h> is: backward compatibility! The old C/C++ style headers (*.h) are deprecated, which means that they may not be included in future versions of the standard.
If you, vVv, had bothered to read the page you quoted, you'd notice at the very begginning this part:
(Quote from the standard at: http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc22/wg21/d...depr.c.headers)

1 This clause describes features of the C++ Standard that are specified
for compatibility with existing implementations.

2 These are deprecated features, where deprecated is defined as: Norma-
tive for the current edition of the Standard, but not guaranteed to be
part of the Standard in future revisions.

(there's some points referencing some other deprecated features not relevant to this discussion right before the part you quoted, that i'll include below)

1.5 Standard C library headers [depr.c.headers]

1 For compatibility with the Standard C library, the C++ Standard
library provides the 18 C headers, as shown in Table 1:

Table 1--C Headers

-----------------------------------------------------------------
<assert.h> <iso646.h> <setjmp.h> <stdio.h> <wchar.h>
<ctype.h> <limits.h> <signal.h> <stdlib.h> <wctype.h>
<errno.h> <locale.h> <stdarg.h> <string.h>
<float.h> <math.h> <stddef.h> <time.h>
-----------------------------------------------------------------

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2 Each C header, whose name has the form name.h, behaves as if each name
placed in the Standard library namespace by the corresponding cname
header is also placed within the namespace scope of the namespace std
and is followed by an explicit using-declaration (_namespace.udecl_)

3 [Example: The header <cstdlib> provides its declarations and defini-
tions within the namespace std. The header <stdlib.h> makes these
available in the global name space, much as in the C Standard. --end
example]

So, in conclusion, <string.h> and all <*.h> headers are there for bacward compatibility and should no longer be used if you want to garantee that your code will be compilable in the future!
And, always read before you quote!

Greetings,

In that case I'm sorry, but what I got from 7stud's post was not that <string.h> isn't there, but if you are coding C++ you should be using the Cname header instead, i.e: <cstring> and he is right.
By the way, I made one mistake on my last post, <iostream.h> isn't even in the standard, some compilers support it, but the standard does not.