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0 pointsIAmLiterallyAB1y ago0 comments

> Herb side that proposes minimal changes

Herb is developing a whole second syntax, I wouldn't call that minimal changes. And probably the only way to evolve the language at this point, because like you said Sean is introducing a different language entirely, so its not C++ at that point.

I really like some of Herb's ideas,but it seems less and less likely they'll ever be added to C++

0 comments

darknavi1y ago

Have you seen some of his recent talks? Lots of underpinnings of cppfront have been added or are in committy.

He compares it to the JS/TS relationship.

pjmlp1y ago

Nope, that is mostly sales pitch, the only thing added thus far has been the spaceship operator.

He also sells the language differently from any other language that also compiles to native via C++, like Eiffel and Nim among others, due to conflict of interest to have WG21 chair propose yet another take on C++.

nox1011y ago

It's not really a valid comparison though. cppfront is a different language that just happens to be compatible with C++. ts/js is were ts is just js with types. You can comment out the types and it just runs. cppfront's language you'll actually have to re-write the code to get it to compile in C++

typescript

    function add(a: number, b: number): number { return a + b };

javascript

    function add(a/*: number*/, b/*: number*/)/*: number*/ { return a + b };

cppfront

    add: (a: float, b: float): float = { a + b; }

cpp

    float add(float a, float b) { return a + b; }

EE84M3i1y ago

> ts/js is were ts is just js with types. You can comment out the types and it just runs.

Is this true in the general case? I thought there were typescript features that didn't have direct JavaScript alternatives, for example enums.

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HelloNurse1y ago

Do you realize that the Typescript example contains strictly more information than the Javascript one (namely, declarations for the type of three things) and is therefore more complex to compile, while the two C++ examples are semantically identical (the last expression in the function is returned implicitly without having to write "return") and the new syntax is easier to parse?

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chipdart1y ago

> He compares it to the JS/TS relationship.

OP is right, TypeScript is a whole new syntax, and it's shtick is that it can be transpiled into JavaScript.

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