Carbon Language: An experimental successor to C++

Re:Carbon Language: An experimental successor to C++ by saghm on Saturday August 02, 2025 @11:14AM (#44768293)

If they're the same language, then I think it's a fair objection that it's closed-source, as some people might find using a closed-source compiler to be unsuitable as a replacement for the existing open source C++ ones. If it's not the same language, then it's not clear that Safe C++ actually exists today, so it also seems fair that people might be interested in alternatives that they expect might be available sooner.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Carbon Language: An experimental successor to C++ by aw1621107 on Sunday August 03, 2025 @02:52AM (#44774639)

I don't think the objection in the first sentence makes sense because I don't think replacing the existing C++ compilers was ever in the cards. If anything, the fact that the Safe C++ proposal has a section titled "Implementation Guidance" seems to point to precisely the opposite - that the intent was for existing C++ compilers to be updated to add the new features, not that Circle was to replace them.

I'm not sure about the second sentence either? Circle (supposedly?) implements everything in the Safe C++ proposal, so in that respect Safe C++ exists. Alternatively, you can say Safe C++ doesn't exist because major compilers don't implement it, but that's kind of the point of the Safe C++ proposal (and many (most?) other C++ language proposals, for that matter) - it's describing new features that don't currently exist but might be worth adding to the standard.

> people might be interested in alternatives that they expect might be available sooner.

This is also a bit funny because this was one of the more contentious points of debate in the Safe C++ vs. profiles discussion, and the impression I got is that between the two Safe C++ was generally considered to be closer to "might be available sooner" than profiles.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Carbon Language: An experimental successor to C++ by saghm on Tuesday August 05, 2025 @11:31AM (#44799324)

It sounds like the difference of opinion here is around how soon we expect that the major compilers will actually implement the safe features. I tend not to be optimistic that these sorts of changes will be available anytime soon, and I think it would be fair to consider alternatives at this point, but that's obviously a judgment call and not everyone will agree on that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Carbon Language: An experimental successor to C++ by aw1621107 on Tuesday August 05, 2025 @12:03PM (#44799798)

As far as Safe C++ vs. profiles specifically, I don't think the conversation really ever got to the point of serious discussions of how soon the features could be implemented. My understanding is that there were bigger hangups about what direction to go in the first place as well as what "profiles" even meant.

> and I think it would be fair to consider alternatives at this point

I would assume those who could consider alternatives already have, and that those (still) interested in safe(r) C++ do so because the alternatives are insufficient for one reason or another.

[ Parent | on HN ]