Comparing Control and Performance in C++ and Rust

In software engineering, C++ is often used in areas where low-level system access and high-performance are critical, such as operating systems, game engines, and embedded systems. Its long-standing presence and compatibility with legacy code make it a go-to language for maintaining and extending older projects. Rust, while newer, is gaining traction in roles that demand safety and concurrency, particularly in systems programming.

We wanted to explore these two languages side-by-side, so we invited Herb Sutter and Steve Klabnik to join host Kevin Ball on the show. Herb works at Microsoft and chairs the ISO C++ standards committee. Steve works at Oxide Computer Company, is an alumnus of the Rust Core Team, and is the primary author of The Rust Programming Language book.

We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Rust and C++ on Software Engineering Daily.

Kevin Ball or KBall, is the vice president of engineering at Mento and an independent coach for engineers and engineering leaders. He co-founded and served as CTO for two companies, founded the San Diego JavaScript meetup, and organizes the AI inaction discussion group through Latent Space.

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