4 ms·

A lot of it is due to library support; C++ has libraries in physics and graphics haven't yet been written in other languages. Another is the lightweight possib

A lot of it is due to library support; C++ has libraries in physics and graphics haven't yet been written in other languages. Another is the lightweight possibilities for C++ makes it possible to install and run good apps on tiny machines like Pis, where installing Java can be much more challenging. C++ is also a great language for iOS and OSX development for those who are not satisfied with Objective-C or Swift.

jernfrost 11y ago
If you use C++ instead of Objective-C or Swift for iOS/OS X development then it is just because you refuse to learn something new. The only use for C++ on iOS/OS X would be algorithm heavy code. C++ is a poor language for dealing with GUI or higher level concepts in an app. Compare the elegance of stuff like Core Data, bindings, target-action, undo framework, predicate filter using Objective-C with how kludgy stuff like that ends up in C++. I know because I have tried implementing similar stuff in C++. It is possible but it looks like shit.
- hellofunk 11y ago
  I certainly agree with you for using platform-specific languages for platform-specific features. But I much prefer to write the main logic of an app in C++ and use Swift as the glue to the UI rather than use Swift for everything. I'm not yet sold on Swift, and being unable to take the code to other platforms is also a strike against it, for now.
- blub 11y ago
  One huge reason to use C++ on iOS is to avoid platform lock-in and for code sharing. How can you miss such a blindingly obvious reason? And it is right on par with other languages when it comes to GUI building as Qt proves. However, something like QML in conjunction with C++ will be much more flexible and pleasant to use than any of C++, Objective-C or Swift. CoreData is widely considered to be more trouble than it's worth it, as soon as you want to do some serious work. Predicate filtering... maybe I am missing something, but I'd pick <algorithm> + lambdas any day over that kind of magic. I have used Objective-C to write production code, and with few exceptions, I would consider it anything but elegant. It's a hodge podge of concepts thrown on top of eachother that's finally and deservedly being put to rest by Apple.

jernfrost 11y ago

If you use C++ instead of Objective-C or Swift for iOS/OS X development then it is just because you refuse to learn something new. The only use for C++ on iOS/OS X would be algorithm heavy code. C++ is a poor language for dealing with GUI or higher level concepts in an app. Compare the elegance of stuff like Core Data, bindings, target-action, undo framework, predicate filter using Objective-C with how kludgy stuff like that ends up in C++. I know because I have tried implementing similar stuff in C++. It is possible but it looks like shit.

hellofunk 11y ago
I certainly agree with you for using platform-specific languages for platform-specific features. But I much prefer to write the main logic of an app in C++ and use Swift as the glue to the UI rather than use Swift for everything. I'm not yet sold on Swift, and being unable to take the code to other platforms is also a strike against it, for now.
blub 11y ago
One huge reason to use C++ on iOS is to avoid platform lock-in and for code sharing. How can you miss such a blindingly obvious reason? And it is right on par with other languages when it comes to GUI building as Qt proves. However, something like QML in conjunction with C++ will be much more flexible and pleasant to use than any of C++, Objective-C or Swift. CoreData is widely considered to be more trouble than it's worth it, as soon as you want to do some serious work. Predicate filtering... maybe I am missing something, but I'd pick <algorithm> + lambdas any day over that kind of magic. I have used Objective-C to write production code, and with few exceptions, I would consider it anything but elegant. It's a hodge podge of concepts thrown on top of eachother that's finally and deservedly being put to rest by Apple.