Flundstrom2 16 hours ago

C is 50 years old, and deliberately kept smalm as a KISS language (unlike the almost-as-old nowadays-bloated C++).

There's simply not a lot happening to it - apart from being part of the root causes to 50% of all security vulnerabilities.

Although Gcc and the Linux kernel do have some 50 MLoC, noone would nowadays embark on writing such a large system using C from scratch.

Today, Java, C# or Rust would be much better choices for any large system. Heck, even C++ (with proper use of a selected sub-set of its features) would be a step up.

Dont get me wrong; I've been doing embedded development using C and C++ for a living for the last 25+ years. But, I'm learning Rust, and I love it, hoping it will take C's place and being a serious contender to Java, C# and even python for the use-cases where it would make sense.

Surely, getting a program through the compiler is much harder, but afterwards, it just works. I would suggest all seasoned C developers to give Rust a serious shot.

  • FerkiHN 14 hours ago

    I agree with several points you made — Rust is indeed a powerful language, and I also use it in my projects. Its safety guarantees and modern tooling make it an excellent choice for many use cases.

    That said, I think C still has a unique value, especially when you need full control over memory, binaries, and platform-specific behavior. It's minimal, with no hidden abstractions or magic — what you write is what you get. And that simplicity can be a feature, not a flaw.

    C isn't always the right choice for large modern systems anymore, sure — but for certain domains like embedded, retro-style tooling, or bare-metal performance, it still shines. Plus, it's a great language to understand how things really work under the hood.

    I see C and Rust not as enemies, but as tools with overlapping goals and different trade-offs. I use both — C when I want ultimate control, Rust when I want safety with fewer footguns.

skydhash a day ago

C is boring technology. Occasion to make the news are rare. I hack things in C when some tools I use crash or is missing features. Or to learn how somethings work.

Just like if you want some basic HTML form attached to a database that's guaranteed to run everywhere, you write in PHP, if you want a simple Linux (and BSD) cli app, you write it in C. Both are dangerous tech (as in no guardrails), but you'll be set for decades with minimal maintenance.

  • FerkiHN a day ago

    The C programming language, on the contrary, is interesting if you have experience. I always create new things that have different uniquenesses. I recently created a notes program for Windows with GUI in C language, 67kb in size.

    The C language offers many features that even surpass modern languages.

    • scarface_74 7 hours ago

      That’s not because of the “C language”. That’s because of the Windows API.

      BTW, wait until you really start digging into the Windiws API and realize that there are 8 or 9 ways to define a “string” based on which API you’re calling and you have to convert back and forth….

andreamonaco a day ago

Many people still use C, I do for sure