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by simonask
29 days ago
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C is not a simple language in the sense that writing software in C is simple, and I think that's the only useful way to understand the word "simple" in this context. Brainfuck is "simple" by any other definition as well, but that's not a useful quality. |
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That doesn't mean the C is a safer language than Swift, or a less-capable language than Swift. But in terms of "easy to understand along the happy-path", it's a lot easier to get going in C.
Swift, for example, bakes a whole load of CS-degree-level ideas and concepts into the basic language with its optionals, unwrapping, type-inference, async/await, existential types, ... ... ... . C doesn't do any of that. There are (many!) more footguns in C, but the language is less complex as a result.
Brainfuck is not at all simple, from that point of view. This is a valid Brainfuck program:
>+++++++++[<++++++++>-]<.>+++++++[<++++>-]<+.+++++++..+++.[-]>++++++++[<++++>-]<. >+++++++++++[<+++++>-]<.>++++++++[<+++>-]<.+++.------.--------.[-]>++++++++[<++++ >-]<+.[-]++++++++++.
This is the equivalent C program
#include <stdio.h> int main() { printf("Hello world!\n"); }
One of these is far simpler than the other.
[edit: changed to make the examples do the same thing]