OFTOPIC: C vs C++ (was Re: C++ in kernel)

Robert G. Werner (rwerner@lx1.microbsys.com)
Fri, 8 Jan 1999 17:44:36 -0800 (PST)

I'm probably stepping into a hornet's nest but this is an interesting question
to me so:
Would you (and anyone else who would like to make a case) say that writinng an
opperating system in C++ is probably not a "good idea" or just that trying to
convert the Linux kernel would definitely not be a "good idea"?
Hypothetically, say when I get lots better at programing, I decide I want to
make another opperating system, I would be fooling myself if I thought I
should use C++.
I'm really not wanting to get into a religious war because I can accept the
idea that some languages are better at some things than others. I plan on
getting good at both C and C++ as they are both widely used and have important
applications in the real world.
But I have heard that C is much better suited to working closely with hardware
while C++ is great for creating layers of abstraction that can help programmers
concentrate on the algorythms. Of course, I'm very new to these languages so
most of my information is hearsay.
I would love to hear from several people about this.

Robert G. Werner
rwerner@lx1.microbsys.com
Impeach Conggress!!

"The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, `What does
woman want?'"
-- Sigmund Freud

On Thu, 7 Jan 1999, Lenart Gabor wrote:

> > > Now... what Alan says about the difficulty of supporting it within the
> > >kernel may very well be the case - I don't know. That said, its time to
> > start
> > >considering the future. C++ cannot be ignored by the kernel forever. The
>
> Why not ? It's not important at all which language you're using. It's
> the compiler's task to produce the BEST code. The performance and the speed
> of the compiled code is the function of the compiler's goodness and not
> the language itself. Choosing language is only important for people
> to make programs easier. But of course simplier language requires simplier
> compiler and optimizer to produce almost the same code than more complex
> languages. That's why a C compiler usually produce smaller and faster
> code than a C++ compiler. as far as I know :)
>
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