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Ada had all of C++'s problems figured out in 1983. PIMPL as a means of boosting compiler performance is fundamentally braindead. We shouldn't be bending over ba
by kevin_thibedeau 3y ago
Ada had all of C++'s problems figured out in 1983. PIMPL as a means of boosting compiler performance is fundamentally braindead. We shouldn't be bending over backwards with broken tools to make them sort of work.
- wakawaka28 3y agoPIMPL doesn't only boost compiler performance. It provides code-hiding and ABI stability for everyone using it effectively. It's like killing 3 birds with one stone. PIMPL for sure isn't gonna be the thing to convince me that C++ is broken. Ada has piqued my curiosity before but I think if it was as good as you make it sound, it might have at least 1% market share after 40 years. It doesn't. I can't justify the time investment to learn it unless I get a job that demands it.
- iainmerrick 3y agoIt's not PIMPL per se that's the problem, it's that C++ needs it but makes it very awkward to write. It feels like the language is fighting against you rather than setting you up for success. At least that's been my angle in this discussion.
- pjmlp 3y agoUnfortunely "bending over backwards with broken tools" is exactly to what made C++ a success in first place, an idea also adopted by Objective-C and TypeScript. Trying to make the best out of an improved langauge, while not touching the broken tools of the existing kingdom they were trying to build upon. Naturally such decision goes both ways, helps gain adoption, and becomes a huge weight to carry around when backwards compatibility matters for staying relevant.