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Comment by z_open | Hacker News Reader

C++ and C are no longer used for the same types of projects so C++ is not a better C.

I think you must be from the 90s -- if so can you share your time machine?

All kinds of major projects switched to C++ already, for example GCC. All the major new projects, for example LLVM, are also in C++ from the get-go.

Even the Linux kernel is considering switching to C++ now.

> Even the Linux kernel is considering switching to C++ now.

Source?

https://www.phoronix.com/news/CPP-Linux-Kernel-2024-Discuss

https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/3465e0c6-f5b2-4c42-95eb-2936148...

I wonder if Linus has changed his views on C++ too in the mean time.

http://harmful.cat-v.org/software/c++/linus

No they’re not

A weird way to spell "Rust".

I giggled -- thank you.

> Even the Linux kernel is considering switching to C++ now.

considering doesn't mean it will happen in near future, because toolchains/ecosystem is not there, the same is applicable for many other projects.

I'm not aware of any toolchain limitations; making the kernel compile as C++ is doable with a few trivial patches, and the kernel already is heavily GCC-specific, which supports both C and C++ to the same level.

software is complex, and you can't be sure until you run it in mission critical production.

With the same argument you couldn't upgrade the compiler at all.

Thankfully the Linux kernel development relies on testing instead.

I have my doubts on c++ ever making it into the mainstream kernel while Torvalds is benevolent dictator. Especially since there is rust. I agree with the rest of what you said though.

Until C fixes its string and array story, C++ keeps being a better C.

I just use bstrlib... It's solid and works perfectly..

It is not part of ISO C and that is a big difference.

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