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C++ versions are practically a new language. Last two Rust editions required no changes on any of my code. Why are people constantly harping on this obviously u

by rapsey 3y ago

C++ versions are practically a new language. Last two Rust editions required no changes on any of my code. Why are people constantly harping on this obviously untrue idea. New Rust versions and editions make the language _simpler_.

kaashif 3y ago
> C++ versions are practically a new language. Last two Rust editions required no changes on any of my code. This juxtaposition kind of makes it seem like that new C++ versions did require changes to your code, did they? My understanding is that C++ maintains backwards compatibility.
- rapsey 3y ago
  Rust editions are allowed to break backwards compatibility. If you have 2015 edition code and change your Cargo.toml and set it to 2021 edition, the code may no longer compile. My code went from 2015 to 2018 and 2021 by simply changing Cargo.toml. No code changes were necessary and it was still completely idiomatic code. Nothing was deprecated or even outdated. An idiomatic C++11 solution is not likely to be the idiomatic C++17 solution however. Every version of C++ makes deep changes to the actual language and adds a ton of features. Whereas Rust versions and editions tend to make the language simpler as they generally remove limitations.
  - Conscat 3y ago
    Every release of C++ since 11 has relaxed limitations on `constexpr`, and several relaxed limitations on `template`. Many other features have had various rules relaxed in certain releases, including `for` loops, lambdas, labels, moves, and atomics. It's true that there are usually new features which arguably make older code no longer idiomatic, but modernizing code is always optional, so what's really the issue there?
    - rapsey 3y ago
      The issue is the language gets more complex over time. The origin of the discussion was the statement Rust is just as complex as c++, which is completely wrong. Rust changes in small increments and even when they decide on a new edition that can break compatibility, it still barely changes.
neandrake 3y ago
This can be problematic when working on a project where updating the version of rust is difficult, limiting what libraries can be used - or ci/cd where devs may not have direct control of the environment. It’s less of a language compatibility issues and more deployment logistics issues.

by rapsey 3y ago

kaashif 3y ago

> C++ versions are practically a new language. Last two Rust editions required no changes on any of my code. This juxtaposition kind of makes it seem like that new C++ versions did require changes to your code, did they? My understanding is that C++ maintains backwards compatibility.

rapsey 3y ago
Rust editions are allowed to break backwards compatibility. If you have 2015 edition code and change your Cargo.toml and set it to 2021 edition, the code may no longer compile. My code went from 2015 to 2018 and 2021 by simply changing Cargo.toml. No code changes were necessary and it was still completely idiomatic code. Nothing was deprecated or even outdated. An idiomatic C++11 solution is not likely to be the idiomatic C++17 solution however. Every version of C++ makes deep changes to the actual language and adds a ton of features. Whereas Rust versions and editions tend to make the language simpler as they generally remove limitations.
- Conscat 3y ago
  Every release of C++ since 11 has relaxed limitations on `constexpr`, and several relaxed limitations on `template`. Many other features have had various rules relaxed in certain releases, including `for` loops, lambdas, labels, moves, and atomics. It's true that there are usually new features which arguably make older code no longer idiomatic, but modernizing code is always optional, so what's really the issue there?
  - rapsey 3y ago
    The issue is the language gets more complex over time. The origin of the discussion was the statement Rust is just as complex as c++, which is completely wrong. Rust changes in small increments and even when they decide on a new edition that can break compatibility, it still barely changes.

neandrake 3y ago

This can be problematic when working on a project where updating the version of rust is difficult, limiting what libraries can be used - or ci/cd where devs may not have direct control of the environment. It’s less of a language compatibility issues and more deployment logistics issues.