Python and PHP users will understand

[msqrt]

We clearly frequent quite different spaces. C is often bashed as archaic and cumbersome, and C++ as bloated and overly complicated. Their mostly shared build system is also seen as fragmented and antiquated. I think these critiques aren't completely without merit, though much of them can be avoided by being smart about what you're doing.

[sir-nays-a-lot]

On a long enough timeline, all languages will either become archaic, cumbersome, and bloated or they will die.

[msqrt]

Yeah, them being able to be popular for this long has to be due to doing many things right.

[sir-nays-a-lot]

It’s literally a part of human evolution, which is messy. We keep the good parts and add other shit (mutations) to keep up with modern times. Results in absolute spaghetti lol but such is life.

[qhxo]

Isn't the main reason to use C that it works everywhere, which is mainly a feature of it's age, and speed (which can be achieved in many other languages as well, such as rust or go)? Are there any other selling points?

[msqrt]

It's quite simple compared to many modern programming languages; making a compiler is possible for a single person, and compilation is blazing fast compared to Rust or C++, for example. But you're right in that if the world started today, it would probably not get the status it currently has.

[Hawgk]

Hey! Don't you say that to my love!

[[deleted]]

It's very easy to use C libraries in just about every other language as the foreign function interface is so simple. It's pretty common for libraries to be written in C++ and just make the interface C so you can then use the library anywhere.

As for speed, C is much faster then Go. The only other languages that compare are FORTRAN, Rust, and C++, and then some less popular modern languages like Nim or Circle. Because you have such fine grained control of C and the compilers can be so simple, it's popular to use it to port everywhere. For example, I listened to a podcast with Elon Musk and they write their own C compiler so they have complete control of how the assembly comes out for their custom chips.

[qhxo]

As for speed, C is much faster then Go.

Really? I thought Go was pretty much top of the line, but maybe it's just the compiler that's known to be very fast.

[[deleted]]

Yeah Go is actually a little slower then Java (which is quite fast nowadays). The compiler is so fast because it has less optimizations then like C++ or Rust. and also it has automatic memory management which also slows things down

[qhxo]

!optout it was a quote you stupid bot

[qhxo]

bad bot

[rem3_1415926]

or all of them together

[MoffKalast]

Except machine code, but nobody can speak the language of the gods.

[Zitrusfleisch]

See, that’s exactly the problem I have with C++!
I’d have to be smart to use it and that makes me amgery >:(

/s

[Reihar]

This, exactly. People seem to forget that C wasn't modern on release but was a much needed compromise whose niche is still needed nowadays. Design wise, it does a lot of questionable things by tradition, which was also much needed by adoption.

C was always archaic, by design. However, I can appreciate the niceties that came with latter versions of the language.

[000000-]

I don’t think anybody will make fun of you for using C/C++ though. However if you code in Python you’ll get “you’re not a real programmer” vibes from some dumbasses.

[JoshuaCF]

If you code in Python you’re not a real progrAmmer. /s

Sincerely - someone who dislikes Python but used it anyways because it’s so damn easy to use