C++ vs C

[Julie]

When you are talking about embedded development, it isn't the 'safety' of the
language, but the 'safety' of the tools/compiler.

Wrong code is wrong code no matter what the language. It is the tools the make
the difference.

As I work for a tools company I suppose I should agree with you but I
think a large part of it is process.

After process and tools you have language.

C++ is just not available on the majority of the common platforms.

C is small and compact and very efficient. Why change?[/QUOTE]

Which is exactly my point(s). If you find an embedded C++ compiler, it will
(highly likely) be new (comparatively), buggy, and inefficient. Hence, you
don't find embedded development done w/ C++, and probably never will. When and
if C++ ever makes it to 'embedded' development, it will no longer be
/embedded/, but more like mini-OS development, such as WinCE.

For the foreseeable future, embedded will be dominated by asm, C and 8-bit
microprocessors. Ed Nisley in DDJ has covered this topic in previous issues of
his regular column. According to his numbers, sub-32-bit processors
_far_and_away_ outnumber 32+bit processors.

 

[Julie]

C++ is not losing market share in comparison to C# or Java. With the
upcoming C++/CLI, C++ becomes the systems programming language of .NET
and the rest CLI managed environments.

C++ _will_ lose 'market' share as determined by the primary programming
interface of Windows. There is no disagreement that Window programming makes
up a major portion of programming population, someone else can nitpick about
what portion that is...

Regardless, as soon as the traditional C-style Win32 API is deprecated, C++
will lose market share to the accepted Win API, which currently appears to be
the .Net API.

Regardless, all of this discussion is completely irrelevant. Vehemently
sticking to a particular language is tantamount to belonging to the flat-Earth
society. Use the language(s) and tool(s) that are best suited for the project
at hand. And back to whenever the embedded thread started, currently the best
language for embedded development is _not_ C++, and in my estimation, never
will be (see other reply for additional comments if you care).

 

[Ioannis Vranos]

C++ _will_ lose 'market' share as determined by the primary programming
interface of Windows. There is no disagreement that Window programming
makes up a major portion of programming population, someone else can
nitpick about what portion that is...

Regardless, as soon as the traditional C-style Win32 API is deprecated,
C++ will lose market share to the accepted Win API, which currently
appears to be the .Net API.

Is this what you are thinking, or what you wish?

Because I am currently learning Windows programming, and guess what, I
am doing it with C++ and .NET. I will not learn the old Win32, MFC, etc
APIs of course because they are going to be soon obsolete (or deprecated
if you wish).


Also as I have mentioned many times, with the upcoming C++/CLI standard
(due to March), C++ becomes the systems programming language of .NET.



Take a look at these:


http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/05/01/COptimizations/default.aspx

http://pluralsight.com/blogs/hsutter/archive/2004/10/05/2672.aspx

http://blogs.msdn.com/branbray/archive/2003/11/07/51007.aspx

http://www.accu.org/conference/pres...Relevant_on_Modern_Environments_(keynote).pdf


And a page of mine:

http://www23.brinkster.com/noicys/cppcli.htm

Regardless, all of this discussion is completely irrelevant. Vehemently
sticking to a particular language is tantamount to belonging to the
flat-Earth society. Use the language(s) and tool(s) that are best
suited for the project at hand.

I completely agree with that. However there are much more specialised
things you can do with C++ and special purpose libraries than you
probably think.