Paul Krill
Editor at Large

GNU compilers learn new C++, parallelism tricks

news
Apr 28, 20162 mins

GCC 6.1 defaults to the C++ 14 standard and enhances experimental support for C++ 17

The GNU Compiler Collection will be refreshed with updated C++ standards compliance and improvements in parallelism and diagnostics.

Described as a “major” release, GCC 6.1 leverages the C++ 14 standard, which was approved in 2014. “The C++ front end now defaults to the C++ 14 standard, instead of C++98, [which] it has been defaulting to previously,” said Jakub Jelinek, a Red Hat consulting engineer and a co-release manager of GCC, in a bulletin.

Also, experimental support for C++17, which is due later this year, has been enhanced in GCC 6.1. GNU is offering instructions for developers who still may need to use older versions of C++. GCC 6.1, a free software update, is available from FTP servers.

GCC has front ends and libraries for languages, including C, C++, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, Ada, and Go. Version 6.1 features backing for the OpenMP 4.5 specification for multiplatform programming in C/C++ and Fortran. In addition, the compiler can be configured for OpenMP offloading to Intel Xeon Phi Knights Landing and AMD HSAIL processors. The new version also improves support for OpenACC 2.0a, Nvidia’s specification for directives-based programming.

Emitted diagnostics are improved in GCC 6.1, including improved locations, location ranges, and suggestions for misspelled identifiers. It also features fix-it hints and new warnings.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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