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0 pointskd5bjo6y ago0 comments

Especially with this expanded commentary, you do show some advantages of C++ over C, but you have only addressed the advice for how to proceed once you’ve chosen C and not the author’s reasons for preferring C to C++ (or any other language):

— Every language out there has a way to call into C

— If your code is slower than C, someone will rewrite it in C.

— If your library is written in C it means it can be used on any OS, console or mobile device and even on the web.

— Not everyone wants to use C++ (some prefer C).

— It is easier in general for a C++ user to use a C library than it is for a C user to use a C++ library.

— C++ is not as easy to write wrappers for in other languages.

— Unless you limit which C++ features you use (to the point where you are pretty much left with C) a lot of people won’t be able to use your library.

PS. If your original comment had been phrased the way you put it here I might have made the same comment, but I would not have downvoted it. Here, you’re at least providing some supporting evidence for your assertions which makes it a much more valuable contribution to the conversation.

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5 comments · 2 top-level

Const-me6y ago· 3 in thread

> If your code is slower than C, someone will rewrite it in C.

When used correctly, C++ is not slower than C. Sometimes faster, a classic example is C qsort versus std::sort.

> If your library is written in C it means it can be used on any OS, console or mobile device and even on the web.

C++ is good in that regard. I know only 1 mainstream platform where C++ adds significant friction compared to C, that’s iOS, because their objective C is a superset of C. The rest of them (Windows, Linux including embedded, game consoles, android) support C++ just fine.

> Not everyone wants to use C++ (some prefer C).

Most people are OK with C++, especially in the context of game development.

> to the point where you are pretty much left with C

No, not with C. Namespaces and scoped enums are awesome.

Another thing, inside the implementation of the library, you can use whatever C++ language features you please, even the features that would be inappropriate when exposed at the API surface of the library. For example, MS implemented parts of their C runtime library with C++ classes, RAII, lambdas and templates, eliminating duplicated code for char/wchar_t routines. Obviously, you don’t need C++ to consume that library, just C is enough, but it’s implemented in modern C++. On my system, that source is in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Source\10.0.18362.0\ucrt\stdio\output.cpp".

comex6y ago

> I know only 1 mainstream platform where C++ adds significant friction compared to C, that’s iOS, because their objective C is a superset of C.

Apple’s compiler supports overlaying Objective-C features on top of C++ instead of C; it’s called Objective-C++.

Const-me6y ago

I once forked a C library, porting some parts to C++ in the process: https://github.com/Const-me/nanovg/ I’ve retained original C API, only used C++ in the implementation.

Then I’ve got an e-mail from a developer who asked a few things how to back port my changes to C. I answered their questions, but I was curious why. They replied it’s because Objective C and iOS. Personally, I haven’t been developing for iOS for several years, but I don’t think people would do such things for lulz.

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pjmlp6y ago

Except that only old timers, have the Objective-C++ documentation available, because Apple has removed it from their web site.

orbifold6y ago

It actually extremely easy to write C++ wrappers for other languages. Examples I‘m familiar with are pybind11 (similar to boost python) and the node C++ API. That other languages don’t have similarly convenient libraries is entirely their own fault.

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