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> Modern C++ has made big inroads into removing memory safety issues though Modern C++ adds new features that allows you to write code that doesn't have as man

by moefh 4y ago

> Modern C++ has made big inroads into removing memory safety issues though Modern C++ adds new features that allows you to write code that doesn't have as many memory safety problems, but all the unsafety (is that a word?) that existed in the past still exists. Removing features that allows memory unsafety will probably never happen, because one of the main reasons people use C++ is all the legacy code will still be used for decades. It's great that you can write C++ using only the newest features, and that does increase safety. But that doesn't offer the same guarantees of languages designed to simply not have these kinds of problems, or that by design flag the points in the code where safety can't be guaranteed by the compiler.

kazinator 4y ago
You can write completely memory-safe code using nothing but C++98 features, like templated smart pointers and whatnot, which wrap around the unsafe parts of your code. You can keep that unsafe part small and get it right "by inspection"; then if it's used through the higher level primitives, it cannot be misused.
- moefh 4y ago
  The problem is that there's no way to automatically check any of that. If the code is small and doesn't change or doesn't have to last for too long, that's OK. But when it's changed over the years, it's pretty much impossible to guarantee that the unsafe parts are kept small and contained, especially as programmers leave and new ones come in.
midoridensha 4y ago
C++ has so many features that it looks like a different language, depending on who's writing it. It can still compile decades-old code written to the oldest standard, or brand-new code with the latest memory safety features. So is there a compiler flag or external linting tool that can generate warning messages when you're using an older memory-unsafe technique where a safer and more modern technique could replace it?

by moefh 4y ago

kazinator 4y ago

You can write completely memory-safe code using nothing but C++98 features, like templated smart pointers and whatnot, which wrap around the unsafe parts of your code. You can keep that unsafe part small and get it right "by inspection"; then if it's used through the higher level primitives, it cannot be misused.

moefh 4y ago
The problem is that there's no way to automatically check any of that. If the code is small and doesn't change or doesn't have to last for too long, that's OK. But when it's changed over the years, it's pretty much impossible to guarantee that the unsafe parts are kept small and contained, especially as programmers leave and new ones come in.

midoridensha 4y ago

C++ has so many features that it looks like a different language, depending on who's writing it. It can still compile decades-old code written to the oldest standard, or brand-new code with the latest memory safety features. So is there a compiler flag or external linting tool that can generate warning messages when you're using an older memory-unsafe technique where a safer and more modern technique could replace it?