[Info-vax] Userland programming languages on VMS.

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-02-04, Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> On 2/4/2022 8:56 AM, Simon Clubley wrote:
>> On 2022-02-03, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I wish C just wasn't ...
>> 
>> What would be your suggested alternative for a system programming
>> language suitable for use within a kernel ?
>
> There were plenty back in the days. IBM PL/S, DEC Bliss, HP SPL etc..
> Disclaimer: I don't really know these languages.
>
> For the future Rust seems like the only viable candidate. There is
> strong OS interest for it. The interest for Go seems to focus
> more on the layer just above the kernel (like container stuff).
>

For now, Rust is highly fashionable, but so was Ruby at one time.

It really is a pity there isn't a viable Wirth style language in the mix
these days (_without_ mandatory uppercase keywords :-) ) that could
be used in kernel code. Readability and strong type safety (and improved
robustness in general) all in one language would sit very nicely with me.

> Many would say C++ I guess, but I just got a gut feeling that C++
> would either be "programming in C in C++" or the developers
> would loose control of what is going on because one C++
> statement end up executing a ton of code under the hood.
>

C++ is utterly unsuitable for use in a kernel IMHO. It simply has
way too much going on behind the scenes.

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.