Cranston's Life - Rust and More Rust

Today I learned of the Why is the Rust programming language not getting popular? article.

It is about a topic that is so CONTENTIOUS within the Rust community I believe!

The relationship between Rust and C++ is such a COMPLEX one.

When to use Rust and when to use C++ is such a CHALLENGING matter that I don't think has an easy answer.

This topic brings up so MANY questions!

Should Rust even try to COMPETE with C++, or should it just do its own thing for its own users?

Some may even ask, are Rust and C++ even COMPETITORS to begin with?!

Will Rust still be as special as it currently is if future versions of C++ start to support some of its features?

While we use C++ code that is many years old, will we have the same success in the future using Rust code that is many years old?

What a COMPLEX matter!

I will have to THINK about this matter some more.

It is not a new article but it is the FIRST TIME that I have seen the Prefer Rust to C/C++ for new code. article!

This article discusses WHEN to use Rust, and WHEN to not use Rust, and WHEN to use languages like C or C++.

The lesson that I take away from this is that it can be a HARD CHOICE to make!

There can be so MANY factors involved with making such a decision.

When starting a project today this choice could be felt for DECADES or even longer in some cases, if the software has a long lifespan.

What a COMPLEX topic!

Ben Lovy asks us the question "What Does C++ Do That Rust Doesn't?"

This question, merely seven words long, I think is one of the MOST DIFFICULT questions to answer!

Step 1 is to not just know of C++ and Rust, but to KNOW INSIDE AND OUT each one of those languages.

Of the MILLIONS of programmers in this world, how many TRULY KNOW both C++ and Rust?

Let's simplify my question!

Of the MILLIONS of programmers in this world, how many TRULY KNOW just C++?

Of the MILLIONS of programmers in this world, how many TRULY KNOW just Rust?

The answers to each of those questions is a VERY SMALL group of people, I believe.

The intersection of those two groups of people is EVEN SMALLER!

And of this small group of people, we must then ask, are any even prepared just to ATTEMPT such a comparison?

Then after all that, I ask myself, is that comparison EVEN NEEDED?!

From the perspective of a programmer, if Rust satisfies MY NEEDS and if Rust satisfies MY WANTS, do I even care about C++?

An answer to Ben's question would be intellectually desirable.

But for a question that SEEMS SO SIMPLE, I think it is EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT to answer in full.