Shaking off its staid reputation, the venerable C++ language is strutting its stuff at the C++ Connections conference. The evolution of the language can be seen in the plans for <A HREF="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1884735,00.asp">the next version, dubbed C++Ox,</A> in the acceptance of new open-source code libraries, and the reception for certain enhancements to the language. In many programming circles, the mention of C++ merits a big yawn. It's not that the language is retired, since some 38 percent of software developers use C++ at least part of the time, according to Evans Data. But it's no longer perceived as cool. Certainly, many developers think of C++ as static, dusty, unchanging. But C++ has staying power--it's 25 years old, this year, and has outlasted many other languages.