TURBO C++

Turbo C++ was released in 1991 , and came in amidst expectations of the coming release of Turbo C++ for Microsoft Windows. Initially released as an MS-DOS compiler, 3.0 supported C++ templates, Borland's inline assembler, and generation of MS-DOS mode executables for both 8086 real mode and 286 protected mode (as well as the Intel 80186.) 3.0 implemented AT&T C++ 2.1, the most recent at the time. The separate Turbo Assembler product was no longer included, but the inline-assembler could stand in as a reduced functionality version.

Soon after the release of Windows 3.0, Borland updated Turbo C++ to support Windows application development. The Turbo C++ 3.0 for Windows product was quickly followed by Turbo C++ 3.1 (and then Turbo C++ 4.5). It's possible that the jump from version 1.x to version 3.x was in part an attempt to link Turbo C++ release numbers with Microsoft Windows versions; however, it seems more likely that this jump was simply to synchronize Turbo C and Turbo C++, since Turbo C 2.0 (1989) and Turbo C++ 1.0 (1990) had come out roughly at the same time, and the next generation 3.0 was a merger of both the C and C++ compiler.

Starting with version 3.0, Borland segmented their C++ compiler into two distinct product-lines: "Turbo C++" and "Borland C++". Turbo C++ was marketed toward the hobbyist and entry-level compiler market, while Borland C++ targeted the professional application development market. Borland C++ included additional tools, compiler code-optimization, and documentation to address the needs of commercial developers. Turbo C++ 3.0 could be upgraded with separate add-ons, such as Turbo Assembler and Turbo Vision 1.0.

Version 4.0 was released in November 1993 and was notable (among other things) for its robust support of templates. In particular, Borland C++ 4 was instrumental in the development of the Standard Template Library, expression templates, and the first advanced applications of template metaprogramming. With the success of the Pascal-evolved product Delphi, Borland ceased work on their Borland C++ suite and concentrated on C++Builder for Windows. C++Builder shared Delphi's front-end application framework, but retained the Borland C++ back-end compiler.

VERSIONS OF C++

BORLAND C++

• Borland C++ 2.0 - (1991, MS-DOS)
• Borland C++ 3.0 - (1991) New compiler support to build Microsoft Windows applications.
• Borland C++ 3.1 - (1992) Introduction of Windows-based IDE and application frameworks (OWL 1.0, Turbovision 1.0)
• Borland C++ 4.0 - (1993, Windows 3.x) MS-DOS IDE supported no longer, included OWL 2.0.
• Borland C++ 1.0 - (1992, OS/2)
• Borland C++ 1.5 - (?, OS/2)
• Borland C++ 2.0 - (1993, OS/2) Suppo
  rt for 2.1 and Warp 3. OWL 2.0. Included IBM SMART Toolset for automatic migration of Windows applications to OS/2. Last version.
• Borland C++ 4.01
• Borland C++ 4.02 - (1994)
• Borland C++ 4.5
• Borland C++ 4.51
• Borland C++ 4.52 - (1995) Official support for Windows 95, OWL 2.5
• Borland C++ 4.53
• Borland C++ 5.0 - (1996, Windows 95) Released in March 1996. Works on Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51. It does not (officially) work on Windows NT 4.0 (which was still in development at that time). 3rd party tests exhibited some problems on NT 4.0. It does not work in Windows 3.x or DOS. Despite that, it can produce either Win32, Win16 or DOS programs.
• Borland C++ 5.01
• Borland C++ 5.02 - (1997) Final independent release of the Borland C++ IDE (subsequently replaced up by the C++Builder series), final release to support compilation to (real-mode) MS-DOS target. Windows NT 4.0 officially supported.
• Borland C++ Builder 4.0 + Borland C++ 5.02 - (1999) Bundle combination to facilitate the migration to C++Builder.
• Borland C++ 5.5 - Command-line compiler only (not with IDE). It was later made available as a free download.