10 ms·

C is easy to learn but not to reason about. First of all, C is really C + macro-C, two separate languages that don't know about each other. Second, all the damn

C is easy to learn but not to reason about. First of all, C is really C + macro-C, two separate languages that don't know about each other. Second, all the damn UB. Third, weak typing and fourth, memory errors. So no, reasoning about C is far from easy.

madmax96 7y ago
It is comparatively easier to reason about C than other languages that are as useful (meaning the number and quality of libraries, portability) as C.
zik 7y ago
These arguments sound like the arguments of someone who hasn't programmed much in C. C's undefined behavior is a non-issue in almost any realistic programming situation - it would only normally crop up in cases where you're deliberately doing something strange like overflowing a variable. The typing is a non-issue if you don't do stupid things. Memory errors can be an issue but tools like valgrind make them a relatively minor hassle. None of these affect your ability to reason about C, at least not as a normal programmer.
- LessDmesg 7y ago
  > overflowing a variable ...can easily happen indeliberately. Just as any other exceptions. Which C can't even handle in a deterministic way because it doesn't have built-in exceptions, so you have to rely on libraries or remembering to check error codes. Not easy to reason about. > typing is a non-issue When all your function ptrs have to be cast to and from (void*) - hell yeah it's an issue. > minor hassle Then why are buffer overflow exploits in C programs on the news?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - zik 7y ago
    > When all your function ptrs have to be cast to and from (void*) - hell yeah it's an issue. I don't know how you got this impression. This is 100% incorrect.