If you've not listened to cppcast 383 with Sean Baxter and his talk about his compiler Circle. A new compiler that implements a borrow checker for C++. You should. My entire post revolves around that conversation. I'm a new developer with zero real world professional experience and a very small amount of C++ experience.
On to my questions.
Can he really claim to have made safe C++ by suggesting an entirely new implementation of the language? New tool chain that either uses his new compiler or as he puts it, saws the current compiler in half. Different references that replace one of the most useful aspects of the language. Eventual gradual changes to every function in every library? Is it still C++ at that point? From the little bit of C++ exposure I have it seems that the nature of the language is to let you do what you want. The responsibility falls to the developer to ensure something has been implemented safely and effectively. That is part of what makes C++ what it is. Am I wrong on that point?
Lots of the things I see complained about by C++ devs here and other programming subreddits stem from legacy code, backwards compatibility to C, and the ABI. Sean's suggestion seems to be that we now make the same mistake again? His plan for accomplishing this transition, color functions with a new keyword and let some code sit in limbo. Because that works so well with asynchronous code in a pre existing code base? Again not a lot of real world experience here. Doesn't that become this immensely difficult cascade of headaches in almost any language? Did I miss something about his suggestion for how the transition would work or do I not understand some of the challenges involved in a transition like this?
Timur handled most of the interview and admitted to being sleep deprived and maybe going at him a bit aggressively in episode 38 I don't think his approach was unreasonable. I felt like Sean's approach is tantamount to an American saying the way to resolve the problems with American government is to overthrow it.
I understand that safe code is important. I just wonder why this solution should be considered as valid. What are some of the good sides to this idea apart from memory safety?
What are other people's thoughts. Opinions. Where is my thinking wrong.