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How to make your replacement for a C language Google-able: name it after an API for a C language: Carbon was one of two primary C-based application programming

How to make your replacement for a C language Google-able: name it after an API for a C language: Carbon was one of two primary C-based application programming interfaces (APIs) developed by Apple for the macOS (formerly Mac OS X and OS X) operating system. Compare also keywords or key terms: Carbon will be built on a foundation on modern programming principles, including a generics system, that would remove the need to check and recheck the code for each instantiation. Another much needed feature lacking in C++ is memory safety. Memory access bugs are one of the largest culprits of security exploits. Carbon designers will look for ways to better track uninitialized states, design APIs and idioms that support dynamic bounds checks, and build a comprehensive default debug build mode. Over time, the designers plan to build a safe Carbon subset. Versus... Carbon libraries are extensively cleaned up, modernized and better "protected". While the Mac OS was filled with APIs that shared memory to pass data, under Carbon all such access was re-implemented using accessor subroutines on opaque data types. This allowed Carbon to support true multitasking and memory protection, features Mac developers had been requesting for a decade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_(API) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_(API) Go Get 'Em!

deleted 4y ago
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KptMarchewa 4y ago
Carbon API is so old that this pretty much isn't issue. You have to google explicitely for "Carbon API" for it to show up. Whether even now, "carbon programming" or "carbon code" give results for Carbon language - and some other non-c++ libs named Carbon. Even "carbon" by itself gives me some Carbon language links.
- tgv 4y ago
  I suppose you’re using google as a search engine?
- scotty79 4y ago
  Don't forget they named language go, while language named Go! already existed. They just don't care. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go!_(programming_language) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go!_(programming_language)
  - Optimal_Persona 4y ago
    At least they didn't name it after a very popular existing language and then tack "script" on the end...
    - shagie 4y ago
      In defense of the name... it's how an applet could interact with the page surrounding it (and vice versa) https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/invokingJavaScriptFromApplet.html https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/in... https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/invokingAppletMethodsFromJavaScript.html https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/in...
- hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
  At first I wanted to disagree (I remember the whole "Cocoa or Carbon" dilemma for Mac developers in the early 00s), but then I just realized that I'm old. Carbon (the Mac API) only existed to enable developers to more easily port Mac 8/9 applications to OS X, which was over 20 years ago. The Carbon API was officially discontinued in 2019 with Catalina. The Carbon API served its purpose, it's now officially "dead", so I agree - I don't see much of an issue with giving a new technology the same name.
adamrezich 4y ago
…or we're just running out of names that are puns of "C" for C++ successor languages, so things that were deprecated a decade ago are now fair game?
- greenthrow 4y ago
  Are you kidding? There's tons of other words that start with C. And why would it need to anyway? This trend of not putting any thought into what you name your language/framework/application is fairly new and shows serious laziness. Google's team should have done better. Naming things is hard but if you're going to make something worth people's time, it's worth spending a little more effort than they did.
  - Hasnep 4y ago
    The pun is that C is the chemical symbol for carbon.
    - kps 4y ago
      But it's a C++ replacement, not a C replacement, so they should have named it Nitrogen. Edit: it appears that Nitrogen and Phosphorus are already used by Lisp dialects.
      - deusum 4y ago
        Or a 'D' element, I believe Dubnium is still available.
      - gpderetta 4y ago
        C++ is still carbon, just missing a couple of electrons.
ActorNightly 4y ago
All i could think in reading your comment is this https://xkcd.com/927/ https://xkcd.com/927/
raydev 4y ago
It doesn't matter, especially with the old Carbon being mostly dead. Just look at how successful "golang" is.
layer8 4y ago
Since “C++” reads like a Carbon ion with two positive charges, they could have called it “Cation”.
- Razengan 4y ago
  and cash in on the popularity of cats!

deleted 4y ago

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KptMarchewa 4y ago

Carbon API is so old that this pretty much isn't issue. You have to google explicitely for "Carbon API" for it to show up. Whether even now, "carbon programming" or "carbon code" give results for Carbon language - and some other non-c++ libs named Carbon. Even "carbon" by itself gives me some Carbon language links.

tgv 4y ago
I suppose you’re using google as a search engine?
scotty79 4y ago
Don't forget they named language go, while language named Go! already existed. They just don't care. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go!_(programming_language) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go!_(programming_language)
- Optimal_Persona 4y ago
  At least they didn't name it after a very popular existing language and then tack "script" on the end...
  - shagie 4y ago
    In defense of the name... it's how an applet could interact with the page surrounding it (and vice versa) https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/invokingJavaScriptFromApplet.html https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/in... https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/invokingAppletMethodsFromJavaScript.html https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/deployment/applet/in...
hn_throwaway_99 4y ago
At first I wanted to disagree (I remember the whole "Cocoa or Carbon" dilemma for Mac developers in the early 00s), but then I just realized that I'm old. Carbon (the Mac API) only existed to enable developers to more easily port Mac 8/9 applications to OS X, which was over 20 years ago. The Carbon API was officially discontinued in 2019 with Catalina. The Carbon API served its purpose, it's now officially "dead", so I agree - I don't see much of an issue with giving a new technology the same name.

adamrezich 4y ago

…or we're just running out of names that are puns of "C" for C++ successor languages, so things that were deprecated a decade ago are now fair game?

greenthrow 4y ago
Are you kidding? There's tons of other words that start with C. And why would it need to anyway? This trend of not putting any thought into what you name your language/framework/application is fairly new and shows serious laziness. Google's team should have done better. Naming things is hard but if you're going to make something worth people's time, it's worth spending a little more effort than they did.
- Hasnep 4y ago
  The pun is that C is the chemical symbol for carbon.
  - kps 4y ago
    But it's a C++ replacement, not a C replacement, so they should have named it Nitrogen. Edit: it appears that Nitrogen and Phosphorus are already used by Lisp dialects.
    - deusum 4y ago
      Or a 'D' element, I believe Dubnium is still available.
    - gpderetta 4y ago
      C++ is still carbon, just missing a couple of electrons.

ActorNightly 4y ago

All i could think in reading your comment is this https://xkcd.com/927/ https://xkcd.com/927/

raydev 4y ago

It doesn't matter, especially with the old Carbon being mostly dead. Just look at how successful "golang" is.

layer8 4y ago

Since “C++” reads like a Carbon ion with two positive charges, they could have called it “Cation”.

Razengan 4y ago
and cash in on the popularity of cats!