A spoonerism

[soranz]

So, a new programmer shouldn't learn how to use cout or printf but rather implement their own streams from scratch ?

[ResidentBiscuit]

We could take this farther.

A beginner shouldn't use variables. Instead, he/she needs to pull out an assembly language and only use registers.

[CJC0117]

@soranz

No, I didn't say anything about cout and printf. I was talking more about this swap function which I never heard about in my intro C++ course. By "basics" I mean the stuff covered in the C++ tutorial on this website. Besides, I was talking about learning within the bounds of C++. Is it even possible to create a stream from scrath using C++?

@ResidentBiscuit,

Your grossly exaggerating what I said. Again, I was talking about the basics of the C++ language. I didn't say anything about pulling out an assemly language and using registers. I don't even know what that means, but it sounds like it's outside of C++.

I'm just saying that making your own swap function isn't too difficult for a beginner, whereas creating a stream or pulling out an assembly language and using only registers is.

EDIT: So if it makes you feel better, put 'C++' in front of the word 'basics' wherever it appeared in my last post, and rather than 'built-in function'....how about 'STL function', like Veltas said.