SpaceNugget 2 days ago

Most C++ developers care greatly about the quality of their code, and suggesting that since the code isn't in a life threatening situation like a flight controller or medical device it can be buggy with no repercussions is pretty silly.

Your examples of GCC and Webkit are both projects that have spent enormous amounts of effort to be as memory safe as they can be, and have both had many memory safety related CVEs in the past. As was already pointed out, you still have to pay the cost of engineering memory safe code, even when your compiler/static analysis doesn't have your back.

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virgilp 1 day ago

I was not saying anywhere that people don't or shouldn't care about the quality of their code. I was just pointing out that, whether we like it or not, "quality" is just one of the factors that goes into the mix of "things to optimize of". Other factors like "time" and "effort" and "efficiency" and "compatibility" and even trivial stuff like "familiarity" play a role - or else you'd have formal proofs written in TLA+ or Alloy or the like, before writing any system; And you'd have people immediately switch to safer languages like Rust (which is obviously not happening at scale).

The GCC/Webkit examples were not the best examples, but were nevertheless easily available examples that made one particular point: OP's comment was self-contradictory.

wiseowise 1 day ago

> Most C++ developers care greatly about the quality of their code

Not at our org. Though I know a couple of die hard fans that will eat you for lunch if you do something stupid or ugly.