this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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So. Compile times?
I'm willing to have slower compile times for more stable software.
Makes for a nice call out on a slide but in reality? Are we sure? Why not both?
I think at some level you can't really get both. The rust compiler is constantly being sped up, but the amount of checking it does simply takes time.
It's the age old adage "The fastest code is the one that doesn't exist". The fastest compilation checks are the ones you don't do.
Situation is everything.
speed matters when it comes to systems-level logic/code. Zig strikes that balance very nicely.
Industry cares at the systems level. If a "safe" kernel is 4x slower (compilation, run-time) and there is an "unsafe" option that is just as secure, outside of a cadre of philosopher kings/queens (more power to 'em), practical teams will hit that ~~unsafe~~ performance boosting switch every time.
C is as safe as the situation & the code dictates. Zig makes it easier to be safe in most situations and excels at promoting systems-level safety.
App level, or app API? Where there is more of an x-factor? rust has a great use case. In "user-land", availability matters almost as much as performance.. An app that always crashes is not as valuable as a slower app that never crashes...