[RogerL]

And it is not true (for any reasonable reading of the quote). There are very popular languages that don't get the deserved hate that C++ does. Sure, Python is slow, packaging/versioning is painful, but it is nothing like C++ complaints.

I mean, a standard (and stupid IMO) interview question is rate your C++ expertise from 1-10, and if you answer more than about 5-6 you get bounced for lying or not recognizing your limitations, while they gleefully point out Stroustrup wouldn't answer 9-10.

[wredue]

I mean. Python:

Bolted on, very terrible OO that should never be touched

Some of the most batshit insane ideas of encapsulation anyone has ever seen

Some of the most batshit insane return rules anyone has ever seen

Encouraged inconsistency from the language in the form of functions like “Len” that are added because sometimes someone feels it reads better?

Encouraged unwinding exceptions as regular flow control (lol. Yikes)

It is nearly universally agreed that Python has significant code management issues as code bases scale

This is all ignoring debates of fundamental typing issues. Personally, I hate what Python does, but some people seem to prefer it.

Let us not pretend Python doesn’t have some language problems on top of its tooling problems.

[nottorp]

> It is nearly universally agreed that Python has significant code management issues as code bases scale

That's the worst part. But you have to agree it's the best for throwing small sized glue code around.

[gpderetta]

You forgot "it is so slow you might be faster with pen and paper".

[kelnos]

It absolutely is true! You can certainly argue that different languages get different levels of complaints and hate, but every language that anyone uses gets a non-zero amount of complaints, regardless of severity.

> Sure, Python is slow, packaging/versioning is painful

Those are complaints. That is evidence that people complain about Python. You just did it yourself.

But maybe your complaints about C++ are an order of magnitude more plentiful than for Python. And maybe quite a few of your C++ complaints are about much worse things. But that's not the point: they are all complaints.

And that's the problem with the Stroustrup quote: he's implicitly saying that all complaints are created equal, and there's no difference between having 10 complaints or 10,000 complaints (where 3 of the first are major, and 5,000 of the second are major).

It's used, as the GP points out, to shut down legitimate complaints. "Oh, you don't like $REALLY_BIG_HORRIBLE_ISSUE with my language? Psh, whatever, people complain about all languages, I dare you to find another language that you won't find something to complain about." Not the point! Is $REALLY_BIG_HORRIBLE_ISSUE a problem or not? If not, actually explain and justify, with specific arguments, why you don't think it's a problem. And if you do agree it's a problem, stop deflecting attention, admit that's it's a problem, and try to find a solution!