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C Is Best (2025)

sqlite.org

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Re: C Is Best (2025)

#11

Post by alexpadula »

sylware wrote: post #4

WRONG! Plain and simple C is, by far, one of the current _LESS WORSE_ performant alternatives which can be used, actually, from low level to large applications. C syntax is already waaaaay to rich and complex (and ISO is a bit too much pushing feature creep over 5/10 years cycles).

Interesting! Let’s start this debate!

I love C, when I wrote my first programs in it as a teenager, I loved the simplicity, I love procedural code. Large languages like C++ and or Rust are just too much for ME. Too much package. I like writing code in a simple way, if I can do that with a small amount of tools, I will. You can learn C and be efficient in it within a couple weeks. C systems are just built better, faster, more stable, portable, and more! This is my 2 cents.

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#12

Post by kitd »

sylware wrote: post #4

WRONG! Plain and simple C is, by far, one of the current _LESS WORSE_ performant alternatives which can be used, actually, from low level to large applications. C syntax is already waaaaay to rich and complex (and ISO is a bit too much pushing feature creep over 5/10 years cycles).

That's the first time I've heard the C syntax being called "too rich". It's the epitome of succinctness IMHO (too a fault, even, or maybe I'm just old). Are you confusing it with C++? If so, you have a point.

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#14

Post by alexpadula »

hbbio wrote: post #5

Makes a lot of sense for SQLite to be written in C. It's a heavily optimized and debugged database implementation: Just look at btree.c with all its gotos :) The only language that would make sense for a partial/progressive migration is zig, in huge part due to its compatibility with C. It's not mentioned in the article though.

Maybe DRH will see this and update the page !

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#15

Post by [deleted] »

enricozb wrote: post #10

The final comments in this text seem sobering and indicate an openness to change. I worked recently on a project to migrate RediSearch to Rust, and this was partially motivated by a decent number of recent CVEs. If SQLite doesn't have this problem, then there needs to be some other strong argument for moving to Rust. I also think it's important to have really solid understandings (which can take a few decades I imagi…

[deleted]

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#17

Post by kibwen »

klaussilveira wrote: post #7

> Rust needs a mechanism to recover gracefully from OOM errors. Linus also brought this up: https://lkml.org/lkml/2021/4/14/1099

None of Rust's language features allocate; not arrays, not closures, not iterators. Everything is stack-allocated by default. Rust code doesn't malloc unless you use a library that calls malloc; in other words, exactly like C. Rust fully supports turning off the parts of the standard library that perform allocation, and this is precisely what embedded code and the Linux kernel does. So Rust already gives you full control.

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#18

Post by alexpadula »

kibwen wrote: post #17
klaussilveira wrote: post #7

> Rust needs a mechanism to recover gracefully from OOM errors. Linus also brought this up: https://lkml.org/lkml/2021/4/14/1099

None of Rust's language features allocate; not arrays, not closures, not iterators. Everything is stack-allocated by default. Rust code doesn't malloc unless you use a library that calls malloc; in other words, exactly like C. Rust fully supports turning off the parts of the standard library that perform allocation, and this is precisely what embedded code and the Linux kernel does. So Rust already gives you full con…

Great to know!

Re: C Is Best (2025)

#20

Post by bobajeff »

hbbio wrote: post #5

Makes a lot of sense for SQLite to be written in C. It's a heavily optimized and debugged database implementation: Just look at btree.c with all its gotos :) The only language that would make sense for a partial/progressive migration is zig, in huge part due to its compatibility with C. It's not mentioned in the article though.

Zig hasn't even had it's first release yet. And projects written in it still break in new releases. Given their stance on boringness and maturity it would make no sense for Sqlite to consider zig yet.
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