If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
stephenramsay.net
If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
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Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#2If the headline is a question, the answer is "No".
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#3If the headline is a question, the answer is "No".
The headline isn't a yes/no question though.
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#4> Or hell, why not do it in x86 assembly?
Because I want to be able to review it, and extend it myself.
edit: Pure vibe coding is a joke or thought exercise, not a goal to aspire to. Do you want to depend on a product that has not been vetted by any human? And if it is your product, do you want the risk of selling it?
I can imagine a future where AI coders and AI QA bots do all the work but we are not there yet. Besides, an expressive language with safety features is good for bots too.
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#5There was a recent discussion, “Why AI Needs Hard Rules, Not Vibe Checks” (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46152838).
We need as many checks as possible - and ideally ones that come for free (e.g., guaranteed by types, lifetimes, etc.) - which is why Rust might be the language for vibe coding.
Without checks and feedback, LLMs can easily generate unsafe code. So even if they can generate C or Assembly that works, they’re likely to produce code that’s riddled with incorrect edge cases, memory leaks, and so on.
Also, abstraction isn’t only for humans; it’s also for LLMs. Sure, they might benefit from different kinds of abstraction - but that doesn’t mean “oh, just write machine code” is the way to go.
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#6> Vibe coding actually works. It creates robust, complex systems that work.
No, it absolutely doesn't. We've seen so much vibe coded slop that it's very clear that vibe coding produces a hot mess which no self respecting person would call acceptable. No idea how you can say this as it isn't remotely true.
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#7Its very highly probable that AI is going to generate slop at some point so if you dont know much about how it works, you are doomed. Once it starts going towards slop it just keeps getting deeper until you reach a point where every simple problem feels like you need a new repo
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#8>Is C the ideal language for vibe coding? I think I could mount an argument for why it is not, but surely Rust is even less ideal
I was really hoping you were going to make this argument, based upon the title of the piece! Still a good read, but if you have the inclination I hope you loop back around to weighing the pros and cons of vibe coding in different languages
Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#9Re: If you're going to vibe code, why not do it in C?
#10It doesn't have problems with undefined behavior, memory safety, or especially thread safety?
That has not been my experience when using Codex, Composer, Claude, or ChatGPT.
Things have just gotten to the point over the last year that the undefined behavior, memory safety, and thread safety violations are subtler and not as blindingly obvious to the person auditing the code.
But I guess that's my problem, because I'm not fully vibing it out.