on C++
December 17th, 2008Linus Torvalds in an old thread on C++:
I’ve come to the conclusion that any programmer that would prefer the project to be in C++ over C is likely a programmer that I really *would* prefer to piss off, so that he doesn’t come and screw up any project I’m involved with.
While he does go on a bit of a tear, it’s tough to disagree with much of what he says. If you have doubts or emotional hangups regarding C++ make sure to head over to the C++ Frequently Questioned Answers page and try some intellectual headway on why you still think C++ is a worthy language to spend time with.
All new projects over here are written in Python, it’s insane to use anything less productive for application level code.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I’m unconvinced. C++ can be ugly, but it can also be generate fast and elegant solutions to problems requiring nearly the speed of C if the programmer uses it right.
On the other hand, I’ve seen it mostly abused.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Anybody who thinks C++ is capable of fast and elegant solutions is either deluded, or has never written or maintained a substantial amount of C++ code in the real world. Full stop, end of story.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
They’re right. 2 years of writing almost exclsuively in C++ and then shipping it on Mac, Windows, and Linux has taught me a few things about life.
First, ditch any tool or language that has you up in the middle of the night because of an obscure nuance in the linker that only crops up on one of your many platforms.
Second, when you are beholden to many masters (platforms), it quickly becomes impossible to make them all happy.
Despite high profile claims to the contrary, the practical state of affairs makes it so C++ is not as productive for programming in the large as it ahould be. I don’t know if Python is necessarily the answer. I’ve certainly loved other languages more, but it is certainly a step in the right direction.