Probably the most difficult area in the CL standard is handling pathnames. There are so many possible pitfalls. FFI is an area that, despite best efforts, is likely not a good candidate for inclusion in a standard. It would be better to have all of the implementations converge on a convention since the underlying foreign systems will change over time. Not everything that "just works" has to be in a standard.
C++ issues a "new standard" every 3 years or so which is just nonsense. Even Stroustrop said that the "new C++" is not the "old C++". They are adding ideas (e.g. Concepts) that virtually no one is asking for or knows how to use. Ten years from now that C++ maintenance job you have will be a nightmare. PL/I tried to be everything to everyone for every task and eventually disappeared. C++ is on the same long-term death march. You heard it here first.
C++ issues a "new standard" every 3 years or so which is just nonsense. Even Stroustrop said that the "new C++" is not the "old C++". They are adding ideas (e.g. Concepts) that virtually no one is asking for or knows how to use. Ten years from now that C++ maintenance job you have will be a nightmare. PL/I tried to be everything to everyone for every task and eventually disappeared. C++ is on the same long-term death march. You heard it here first.