C's Evolution from Programming Language to Dominant Platform ABI Standard
By
stickynotememo
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article argues that C is no longer primarily a programming language but has become a 'platform ABI' - a binary interface standard that other languages must conform to for interoperability. The author contends that C's dominance as the de facto standard for system interfaces creates significant problems for other programming languages, forcing them to adopt C's limitations and design flaws. The piece criticizes how C's ABI (Application Binary Interface) dictates memory layouts, calling conventions, and other low-level details that constrain modern language design, making it difficult for alternative languages to innovate or optimize effectively. The author advocates for moving beyond C as the universal ABI standard to enable better language design and interoperability.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledC isn't a programming language anymore. It's a platform ABI that every other language has to be compatible with.
The problem is that C is the de facto standard for system interfaces, and everything has to talk to C.
C's ABI dictates memory layouts, calling conventions, and other low-level details that constrain modern language design.
We're stuck with C's limitations because everything has to interoperate with it, making it impossible for other languages to innovate properly.
The solution isn't to fix C, but to create better alternatives that can serve as platform ABIs without C's historical baggage.
You might also wanna read
Dynamic Borrow-Checking in a Toy Programming Language: Implementing Rust-like Memory Safety Without Static Types
This article presents a demonstration of a toy programming language that implements borrow-checking without static type-checking. The langua
scattered-thoughts.net·1mo ago
C++26 Standard Draft Finalized with Reflection, Memory Safety, Contracts, and New Concurrency Framework
The C++26 standard draft has been completed, introducing major new features including reflection capabilities that allow C++ to describe its
infoq.com·1mo agoUnderstanding Fil-C: A Simplified Model of Memory-Safe C/C++ Implementation
The article presents a simplified model of Fil-C, a memory-safe implementation of C/C++. It explains that while the real Fil-C uses a compil
Sky: An Experimental Elm-Inspired Programming Language That Compiles to Go
Sky is an experimental programming language that combines Go's pragmatism with Elm's elegance to create a fullstack functional programming l
github.com·1mo ago
Analyzing Rust's Coherence and Orphan Rules: Ecosystem Development Challenges and Proposed Solutions
This article critiques Rust programming language's coherence rules and orphan rules, which prevent implementing traits for types defined in
boxyuwu.blog·2mo ago
SBCL Fibers: Implementation Design for Lightweight Cooperative Threads
This is a draft design document describing the implementation of lightweight userland cooperative threads (called 'fibers') for SBCL (Steel
atgreen.github.io·2mo ago