If BitC can provide this list but with memory safety and an easier
programming model than Cyclone, that would be a unique addition to the
systems languages space. Otherwise, I don't see anything ground
breaking in this list to differentiate BitC from the many recent
systems languages: Rust, Clay, Nimrod, D.
As for functional programming, I see combinator-style abstraction
design as shared by all functional languages. First-class functions
are thus not strictly required (there are first-order functional
languges), but they help immensely. Immutable by default isn't
strictly required, but it helps immensely. A static check that
verifies programs meet side-effect contracts isn't necessary, but
helps as well.
Sandro
On 2011-01-23, at 19:21, "Jonathan S. Shapiro" <[email protected]> wrote:
On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 6:25 PM, Ben Kloosterman
<[email protected]> wrote:
For me the big things from BitC are
- Can work without GC / non boxed types
- Non null-able types
- Type safety
- Optional Memory safety
- Type classes for light polymorphism
- Functional language support
- Mutable data support.
- Deal with unusual types ( eg cast a index to a byte array to a
variable size message - i do this at the moment with an external C
function ...)
This enumeration is very useful, and I agree with almost all of it.
Type classes are currently being challenged, but the benefits are
clear and the issues are clear. Not clear how that will play out,
but however it does, it will be the result of taking type classes as
a starting point and dealing with the practical engineering issues
that arise.
Functional programming, on the other hand, strikes me as "up for
grabs", mainly because it's a term that means many different things.
Some people mean (in the end) first-class procedures. BitC certainly
isn't going to give that up. Others mean the ability to have pure
[sub]programs. That's currently up for grabs.
So it would be very helpful if you might expand on what you consider
to be the key properties of functional programming in the context of
BitC...
shap
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