Making the Compiler Your Batman

A batman (as opposed to Batman) is a term derived from the days of the British Empire, and means an orderly or personal servant. If you treat it well, you can make the compiler your right-hand man, helper, conscience, your batman. (Or your superhero, if you prefer.)

The coarser your programming hairshirt, the better able your compiler is to serve you. However, there are times when the compiler, acting out of duty to the language, will stymie your intent, stubbornly refusing to do something you know to be sensible (or desirable, at least).

Imperfect C++ is also about allowing you to have the final choice by providing you with techniques and technologies to wrest control back from the compiler: getting what you want, not what you're given. This is not done blithely, or as a petulant thumbing of the nose from man to machine, but in recognition of the fact that it is the software developers who are the main players in the development process; languages, compilers, and libraries are merely tools that allow them to do their job.