4 ms·
Already a big red flag in the first paragraph - you shouldn't need to know anything about how a computer works to use a programming language
by wly_cdgr 4y ago
Already a big red flag in the first paragraph - you shouldn't need to know anything about how a computer works to use a programming language
- pornel 4y agoRust isn't just any programming language. It's specifically designed to have very low (even zero) overhead on top of what the hardware is capable of, and this by necessity exposes how computers work. In theory a compiler could figure out all the low-level details for the programmer automagically based only on a high-level abstract program, but in practice such approach has never worked well enough, to the point that a "Sufficiently Smart Compiler" is a trope/joke among programming language designers.
- jjtheblunt 4y agodevice drivers are a counterexample
- abarwick 4y agoTo use? No, most modern languages can abstract to a high level. But senior JS developers that don't understand even basic memory management are not going to have a good enough handle on what's going on under the hood to be helpful. I think is more to do with them not being remotely curious, which is a prerequisite to good engineering.
- jamesfinlayson 4y agoAgreed - for moderately big/moderately complex systems, there are plenty of problems that really need a moderate understanding of what the underlying runtime, operating system, network etc are actually doing.
- wly_cdgr 4y agoSure, I agree that they do. My point is they shouldn't
- VMtest 4y agoimagine Rust is being introduced as the first language to teach students..... Nothing is wrong with that
- hoseja 4y agoI disagree with this opinion. Treating computer hardware like perfectly abstractable magic leads to terrible outcomes.