I haven't looked at Zig too closely yet (only started just a few minutes ago), but it immediately appears to me that this violates one of the requirements I suggested, as demonstrated by this use-case wish from my previous comment:
> > using the new language's compiler as the project compiler front end's drop-in replacement (without having to make any changes to the code at all for this first step)
I'll look into Zig more, though. Maybe I'll like it.
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I stand corrected, given my phrasing. I should have specified that it needs to also support incrementally adding the new language's features while most of the code is still unaltered C, rather than (for instance) having to suddenly replace all the includes and function prototypes just because you want to add (in the case of Zig) an error "catch" clause.
You can use the Zig compiler to compile C with no modifications, and easily call C from Zig or Zig from C, so I'm not sure what more you're hoping for. A language that allows you to mix standard C and "improved C" in the same file sounds like a mess to me.
It depends on whether you're talking about an actual whole new, radically different language or something that is essentially C "with improvements". My point is not that C "with improvements" is the ideal approach, only that (at this time, for almost purely social reasons) I don't think C is really subject to replacement except by something that allows you to mix standard C and the "new language" because, apart from specific improvements, they are the same language.
This might come with huge drawbacks, but it still seems like the only socially acceptable way to fully replace C at this time; make it so you can replace it one line of code at a time in existing projects.
> > using the new language's compiler as the project compiler front end's drop-in replacement (without having to make any changes to the code at all for this first step)
I'll look into Zig more, though. Maybe I'll like it.
---
I stand corrected, given my phrasing. I should have specified that it needs to also support incrementally adding the new language's features while most of the code is still unaltered C, rather than (for instance) having to suddenly replace all the includes and function prototypes just because you want to add (in the case of Zig) an error "catch" clause.