P. J. Plauger
Encyclopedia
P. J. Plauger is an author
and entrepreneur
.
He has written and co-written articles and books about programming style, software tools, and the C programming language
.
He founded Whitesmiths
, the first company to sell a C compiler
and Unix-like
operating system
(Idris
).
He has since been involved in C and C++
standardization and is now the president of Dinkumware
. In January 2009 he became the convener of the ISO C++
standards committee, but in October 2009 he tendered his resignation after failing to pass a resolution to stop processing any new features in order to facilitate the promised shipping date for the C++0x
standard.
Plauger wrote a science fiction
short story, "Child of All Ages", first published in Analog in the March 1975 issue, whose hero was granted immortality
before attaining puberty
and finds that being a child
who never grows up is far removed from an idyllic Peter Pan
-like existence. The story was nominated for a Nebula Award
in 1975 and a Hugo Award
in 1976. He won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1975, notably beating John Varley
for the award.
Plauger holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Princeton University
and a Ph.D
in nuclear physics
from the Michigan State University
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
He has written and co-written articles and books about programming style, software tools, and the C programming language
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
.
He founded Whitesmiths
Whitesmiths
Whitesmiths Ltd. was a software company based in Westford, Massachusetts. It sold a Unix-like operating system called Idris, as well as the first commercial C compiler...
, the first company to sell a C compiler
Compiler
A compiler is a computer program that transforms source code written in a programming language into another computer language...
and Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
(Idris
Idris (operating system)
Idris is a multi-tasking, Unix-like, multi-user, real-time operating system released by Whitesmiths, of Westford, Massachusetts. The product was commercially available from 1979 through 1988.-Background:...
).
He has since been involved in C and C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
standardization and is now the president of Dinkumware
Dinkumware
Dinkumware is a software company specializing in core libraries for C/.The company has provided the standard library implementation that ships with Microsoft since 1996, and claims to be the leading supplier of and libraries to the embedded community.They also provide libraries for Java and...
. In January 2009 he became the convener of the ISO C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
standards committee, but in October 2009 he tendered his resignation after failing to pass a resolution to stop processing any new features in order to facilitate the promised shipping date for the C++0x
C++0x
C++11, also formerly known as C++0x, is the name of the most recent iteration of the C++ programming language, replacing C++03, approved by the ISO as of 12 August 2011...
standard.
Plauger wrote a science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story, "Child of All Ages", first published in Analog in the March 1975 issue, whose hero was granted immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
before attaining puberty
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
and finds that being a child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
who never grows up is far removed from an idyllic Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
-like existence. The story was nominated for a Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
in 1975 and a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
in 1976. He won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 1975, notably beating John Varley
John Varley (author)
John Herbert Varley is an American science fiction author.-Biography:Varley grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, moved to Port Arthur in 1957, and graduated from Nederland High School. He went to Michigan State University on a National Merit Scholarship because, of the schools that he could afford, it...
for the award.
Plauger holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
from the Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.