4 ms·

That’s your choice of C++ subset, but the problem with these huge languages is that everyone chooses a different subset to use. Sticking to plain C has the adv

by pansa2 6y ago

That’s your choice of C++ subset, but the problem with these huge languages is that everyone chooses a different subset to use. Sticking to plain C has the advantage of probably being the subset of C++ (I know, it’s not technically a subset) that’s in widest use.

krychu 6y ago
I’d add that deciding on the subset is a high cost operation. Design of such a smaller subset-language will likely not be on par with language that is small by design.
taneq 6y ago
> (I know, it’s not technically a subset) Is it not? I thought C++ was explicitly a strict superset of C?
- einpoklum 6y ago
  Syntactically, it almost was; and even this is no longer true today with C11 and later, More importantly, though - the syntax is not what matters. The languages are very very different in idiomatic use. You just don't write programs the same way with C and with C++. And the gulf between the two only expands with time. A decent C program is almost certainly a poor C++ program, in terms of idioms, utilization of library facilities, and sometimes even in terms of performance (!).
- janoc 6y ago
  It is not and never was. Look at for ex. what const means in each, or auto. Or variable length arrays (feature that doesn't exit in C++). Or designated initializers that C++ didn't have for a long time. Here is a good list of differences: https://mcla.ug/blog/cpp-is-not-a-superset-of-c.html https://mcla.ug/blog/cpp-is-not-a-superset-of-c.html
  - gmueckl 6y ago
    C++ is almost a perfect superset of old C before C99. There are odd corner cases where prograns are parsed differently, but these are quite contrived. The 3rd edition of The C++ Programming language lists a few cases. Since then, C has had may additions to the language that made it diverge from C++. Your linked article is almost entirely about these new C additions.
    - janoc 6y ago
      Even for the old C it wasn't a superset. There are plenty of legal C programs that aren't legal C++ - if for nothing else, then because C++ has more reserved keywords which are perfectly legal identifier names in C. E.g. this is legal C but not legal C++: int template = 10;
gus_massa 6y ago
> everyone chooses a different subset to use I prefer using C++ like "C but with cin and cout" and I informally call it C+ :)

by pansa2 6y ago

krychu 6y ago

I’d add that deciding on the subset is a high cost operation. Design of such a smaller subset-language will likely not be on par with language that is small by design.

taneq 6y ago

> (I know, it’s not technically a subset) Is it not? I thought C++ was explicitly a strict superset of C?

einpoklum 6y ago
Syntactically, it almost was; and even this is no longer true today with C11 and later, More importantly, though - the syntax is not what matters. The languages are very very different in idiomatic use. You just don't write programs the same way with C and with C++. And the gulf between the two only expands with time. A decent C program is almost certainly a poor C++ program, in terms of idioms, utilization of library facilities, and sometimes even in terms of performance (!).
janoc 6y ago
It is not and never was. Look at for ex. what const means in each, or auto. Or variable length arrays (feature that doesn't exit in C++). Or designated initializers that C++ didn't have for a long time. Here is a good list of differences: https://mcla.ug/blog/cpp-is-not-a-superset-of-c.html https://mcla.ug/blog/cpp-is-not-a-superset-of-c.html
- gmueckl 6y ago
  C++ is almost a perfect superset of old C before C99. There are odd corner cases where prograns are parsed differently, but these are quite contrived. The 3rd edition of The C++ Programming language lists a few cases. Since then, C has had may additions to the language that made it diverge from C++. Your linked article is almost entirely about these new C additions.
  - janoc 6y ago
    Even for the old C it wasn't a superset. There are plenty of legal C programs that aren't legal C++ - if for nothing else, then because C++ has more reserved keywords which are perfectly legal identifier names in C. E.g. this is legal C but not legal C++: int template = 10;

gus_massa 6y ago

> everyone chooses a different subset to use I prefer using C++ like "C but with cin and cout" and I informally call it C+ :)