[dwc]

There's a lot of truth in that. A few days ago I wrote a comment about rewriting a program from C++ to C and coming in at about 1/4th the code size. However, I didn't mention C or C++ in that comment because the real savings came from reevaluating requirements, lessons learned, refactoring, et al.

Some time back, someone here on HN posted a comment about rewriting a Java app in... Java. Same basic story of large savings, without changing language at all.

Studying the actual effects of language is hard (time/effort/budget beyond constraints), so people don't do it.

[tombone12]

I don't know how I came across it, but Thomson's Rule for First-Time Telescope Makers seems relevant here:

: "It is faster to make a four-inch mirror then a six-inch mirror than to make a six-inch mirror."

http://wiki.c2.com/?TelescopeRule