The future of C++ is at stake!

last week I was giving a training class, as so often. Topics where C++23 and C++26. During a break on the first day I checked my e-mail and found a unexpected sad news item: on October 23, 2026 the next C++ standard, known as C++26, was disapproved!

Unbelievable, right? I didn't check my e-mails on Friday and then on Monday during a C++26 class I get the new that there will be no C++26. Let's say a slight bit of a bummer.

What happened to C++26?

In short, the second last voting before making C++26 an official ISO standard failed of what seems to be a dispute about contracts. The vote did not gain the required 2/3 in favor votes.

This makes the future of C++ hang in the balance. All paths forward require a successful vote within WG21 and the mere hope that whether the outcome is, it passes the next DIS ballot.

Til the dust settles and we know what will happen with C++, will take a few weeks.

I wrote a blog post with more background on the topic: andreasfertig.com/blog/2026/11/cpp26-dis-failed-how-does-cpp-survive/.

The next frustrating part for me is that I have a conference talk When Your Compiler Runs Your Code at Meeting C++ which contains reflection. You know from what was called C++26. Six other talks contain C++26 in their title.

Well, anyway, I'm sure Meeting C++ will be a great conference. And I'm not only saying this because I'm supporting Meeting C++ as a sponsor. Conferences like Meeting C++, organized by Jens Weller, give the C++ community a place to share knowledge and discuss ideas. With or without C++26.

See you in Berlin?

Best,

Andreas

P.S. I'm also sponsoring Compiler Explorer through mid-January. I use it in my training to show what happens when we change a piece of C++ code and look at the generated assembly. It's a great way to explore compiler behavior together. If you haven’t used it yet, give it a try.