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> Triplett broadly defines systems programming as “anything that isn’t an app.” It includes things like BIOS, firmware, boot loaders, operating systems kernels,
by maerF0x0 7y ago
> Triplett broadly defines systems programming as “anything that isn’t an app.” It includes things like BIOS, firmware, boot loaders, operating systems kernels, embedded and similar types of low-level code, virtual machine implementations. Triplett also counts a web browser as a system software as it is more than “just an app,” they are actually “platforms for websites and web apps,” he says.
Even though I love golang and use it daily for my job, I'd suggest that golang is not a good fit for Triplett's definition for systems programming.
- sanderjd 7y agoAh that quote actually clarified for me why browsers feel different than "normal" applications: in their role as a platform for other applications, they have a lot in common with straight-up VMs.
- geodel 7y agoBut then Triplett's definition for systems programming is not some ISO standard. In lot of companies I have seen they call their large internal applications development as systems programing. Also compilers, runtimes, GCs, databases, cloud schedulers (Kubernetes etc) are also not 'apps' could fit in systems programing definition.