David Abrahams (computer programmer)
David Abrahams | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Software developer, system administrator |
| Known for | Contributions to C++ exception handling, C++ Standards Committee, Boost, template metaprogramming |
David Abrahams is a software developer and system administrator noted for his influential work on the C++ programming language. He is the son of physicist Elihu Abrahams and choreographer Geulah Abrahams. Abrahams is widely recognized for his contributions to C++ exception handling, his active role in the C++ Standards Committee, his founding involvement with Boost, and co-authoring a seminal book on template metaprogramming.
Beginning in 1996, Abrahams served on the C++ Standards Committee until 2012. He was instrumental in establishing exception safety guarantees for the C++ Standard Library as part of the 1998 ANSI standardization process. These guarantees, often referred to as the Abrahams guarantees, form the foundation for numerous standard library functions and methods.
As one of the originators of Boost.org, Abrahams contributed to creating multiple reusable C++ libraries and led Boost Consulting (which later became BoostPro Computing). This company specialized in software development and training centered on Boost libraries from 2001 through 2013. Additionally, he founded BoostCon (currently known as C++ Now), an annual conference hosted in Aspen, Colorado.
In 2013, Abrahams joined Apple Inc., where he played a significant role in developing the Swift language and managed its standard library. By 2017, he was engaged with the SwiftUI project. In January 2020, he moved to Google Brain to support the Swift for TensorFlow initiative. Later, in June 2021, Abrahams partnered with Sean Parent at Adobe Inc. to revive the Software Technology Lab.
Publications
Abrahams' 1998 paper from the International Seminar on Generic Programming at Dagstuhl, titled "Exception-Safety in Generic Components," was published in 2003 within Lecture Notes in Computer Science.
In 2004, together with Aleksey Gurtovoy, he co-authored C++ Template Metaprogramming: Concepts, Tools, and Techniques from Boost and Beyond. This publication, alongside Boost's Metaprogramming Library, advanced practical template metaprogramming by implementing much of the Standard Template Library at compile-time with an emphasis on type manipulations.
Significant Presentations
- At the 2003 ACCU Conference, Abrahams delivered a presentation titled Binding C++ to Python with the Boost Python Library.
- In 2005 at ACCU, he spoke on C++ Template Metaprogramming as well as Rvalue References, Move Semantics, and Argument Forwarding.
- Presented Protocol-Oriented Programming in Swift during Apple's WWDC 2015.
- Delivered a talk entitled Embracing Algorithms at Apple's WWDC 2018.
- At Apple's WWDC 2019, he presented Building Custom Views in SwiftUI.
References
- Notes
- , reprint of Appendix E from Bjarne Stroustrup's The C++ Programming Language, Special Edition concerning exception safety
External links
- Consulting company led by Abrahams, active from 2001 to 2013
- Personal website of David Abrahams, as of 2009
- "Next generation C++" site by Abrahams, as of 2009
- Official Boost.org website