[pldrnt]

My thoughts exactly, as someone who has spent quite some time creating a (usable and readable) LALR syntax that can do everything modern C++ does (plus named arguments, a null-coalescing operator and extension methods) and is currently writing a transpiler based on it, I hope more people share your concern :)

[nickpsecurity]

Anyone who used Modula-3...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modula-3

...knows that one can have key features of C++ for systems programming with an easy-to-parse, safer, and [for a time] more efficient language. The SPIN OS team even modified it with type-safe linking so one could hotload code into the OS. What I saw there was "hotload code into running system" w/ associated benefits during updates. Or safer, better JIT. ;)

Anyway, combined with LISP-style macros & irritating parts removed (eg uppercase, verbosity), you get a system language that blows C++ away in productivity (esp w/ DSL's), compiler efficiency, maintenance, and possibly run-time efficiency. The world might have went in a different direction but they better be honest about parsing pain they created. And all the productivity opportunities lost due to that.

[msie]

Takes me back to the past when Metrowerks created a Modula-2 compiler for the Mac:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrowerks

[nickpsecurity]

Didn't know they started out with Wirth's compiler. Picked the best one. Then market rejected it. Then pivoted to a more successful approach supporting whatever crud was popular. The recurring pattern. Also didn't know they supported that many platforms. Impressive.