Why C?

[zajacattack]

Why is rockbox still using the old C code? Why hasn't it upgraded to a newer language, e.g. C++, Java? Wouldn't that make it easier to manage and more consistent?

[linuxstb]

I would recommend this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)

[jhMikeS]

Zajackattack, have you considered starting a blog?

[cool_walking_]

Upgrade? Java?

[zajacattack]

Zajackattack, have you considered starting a blog?

OK, I'm zajacattack, not zajackattack (actually, it's a common misconception; my last name is Zajac and people always want to spell it with a "k" or "ck").
Beside that point, why? I don't think there's any reason for me to, do you?

[GodEater]

Why is rockbox still using the old C code? Why hasn't it upgraded to a newer language, e.g. C++, Java? Wouldn't that make it easier to manage and more consistent?

Could you explain why that would make it easier to manage and more consistent? We may have missed something...

[nls]

Also, converting a couple of thousand lines of code to another language is not exactly fun or something you do in a weekend...

[GodEater]

A couple of thousand ?

Try nearly 481,000 according to ohloh,

and according to me :

Code: [Select]

wc -l `find . -regex ".*\.\([ch]\|cxx\|cpp\)"`

I get 649,287, though this is probably including a lot of revision history too.

[Bagder]

The answer is this in my view:

Small embedded systems require small binaries written by cluefull people. The original Rockbox firmware binaries had to be less than 200K. Java is just not fast enough, not portable enough, wasn't free enough and isn't small and lean enough to be a good embedded choice for tiny devices. And there aren't many skilled java- programming people around in the embedded open source world.

C++ is not a good choice simply because several of us who started Rockbox just don't like C++ (nor java actually), and the fact that lots and lots of the 3rd party libs we use are plain C and we use them as unmodified as possible.

Java and C++ may have more hype and people who doesn't know things properly talk about them, but the way of C is the raw, fast, powerful and mighty way things get done in the embedded and open source world.

[nls]

A couple of thousand ?

Try nearly 481,000 according to ohloh,

a couple of thousand, a couple of hundred thousand...

you say tomato, I say tomato  

(was too lazy to check it out myself)

[gnu]

Also not all compilers are available for Java or other programming languages, while C is supported by almost any compiler...

[zajacattack]

OK, so I know Java is out of the question, but what is the problem with C++?

[Febs]

I think Bagder already answered that question.

[zajacattack]

C++ is not a good choice simply because several of us who started Rockbox just don't like C++

Well, I was curious to whether there was an actual reason other than "not liking" C++.

[dan_a]

C++ tends to result in large programs.  This is fine on a desktop computer with gigs of processor power, gigs of RAM and gigs of hard disk space, but is a problem on a battery powered DAP with a lot less power and capacity.