C/C++ Longevity Debate
Comments debate the persistence of C and C++ in modern projects due to legacy code, lack of alternatives, backward compatibility, and comparisons to newer languages like Rust, questioning if they are becoming obsolete or evolving as the 'new C'.
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I think it's starting to happen because C++ has become so grossly Byzantine. C refuses to relinquish a bunch of niche applications. The heyday of OOP is past. 10 years ago the attitude was C is going to die any day now. Now it more like since C isn't dying it needs improvements. And none of them are backports from C++ nor make sense in C++.
That's a feature, not a bug. Code you write in C++ today will probably compile and run 30 to 50 years from now with very little (if any) modification. Same is true for C. These are serious languages used on major projects (Joint Strike Fighter, Mars Rover, etc.) by governments, militaries and space agencies. They do not evolve quickly and when they do it is only after much careful deliberation. Don't get me wrong... I enjoy the new, fun, expressive constantly changing languages as much as anyone
What's holding me? People writing software who are choosing C/C++ for legacy reasons only.
As an addendum, the same goes for many C toolchains. Anything requiring GCC 4.8 or later is depending on a C++ compiler. And projects like LLVM’s libc, Fuchsia’s Zircon kernel, the bareflank hypervisor, etc, demonstrate that C++ really can be used anywhere C is used.C++ is the new C in the sense that it’s the language everything else is built on and I expect it will be even more difficult to displace than C. For instance, the complexity of C++ makes it next to impossible to incremental
That's pretty silly, lots of c++ projects have changed languages over the years. We get that you like c++ but let's not be myopic.
It's not a big enough improvement over C++ to warrant switching.
The main reason C++ is still in use is not the zillions lines of existing code. It's the lack of alternative. Other languages may excel in one or two areas, but if you consider the whole ecosystem, C++ is still the best. The availability of highest quality compilers for all possible architectures, build tools, IDEs, static analysis tools, profilers, libraries - all of these factors combined make C++ the first choice for many applications.C++11/14 didn't just "happen."
this is like saying "C++ won't die soon for legacy reasons"
Why bother? The world seems to have moved on to Rust, C++ is only for legacy maintenance stuff anymore.
I think C and C++ have too much buy-in from too many people to be replaced anytime soon.