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  5. C++ vs Smalltalk

C++ vs Smalltalk

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

C++
C++
Stacks18.2K
Followers9.4K
Votes866
Smalltalk
Smalltalk
Stacks554
Followers42
Votes0

C++ vs Smalltalk: What are the differences?

C++ and Smalltalk are both programming languages, but they have some key differences that set them apart.
  1. Syntax: One of the main differences between C++ and Smalltalk is their syntax. C++ is a statically typed language with C-like syntax, which means that variables must be declared with their types and follow a specific syntax. On the other hand, Smalltalk is a dynamically typed language with more flexible syntax, where variables do not need to be declared with their types and the syntax is more natural language-like.

  2. Object-Oriented Paradigm: While both C++ and Smalltalk support object-oriented programming, the way they handle objects is different. In C++, objects are created by defining a class and then instantiating it with the "new" keyword, whereas in Smalltalk, objects are created by sending messages to classes using class methods. This difference in object creation and behavior affects the overall programming style and approach in each language.

  3. Memory Management: Another notable difference between C++ and Smalltalk is their memory management. C++ uses manual memory management, meaning that the programmer needs to explicitly allocate and deallocate memory for objects using new and delete keywords. On the other hand, Smalltalk uses automatic memory management through a process called garbage collection, where objects that are no longer needed are automatically reclaimed by the system. This difference in memory management can have implications on the complexity and bug-proneness of code in each language.

  4. Compilation vs Interpretation: C++ is a compiled language, which means that the source code is compiled into machine code before it can be executed. Smalltalk, in contrast, is an interpreted language, where the source code is executed directly by an interpreter without prior compilation. This difference in execution method has implications on the performance and deployment of code in each language, with compiled code generally being faster but requiring separate builds for different platforms.

  5. Language Features: C++ and Smalltalk also differ in terms of the features they provide. C++ is a low-level language that offers features such as pointers, direct memory manipulation, and bitwise operations, which allow fine-grained control over the hardware. Smalltalk, on the other hand, is a high-level language that focuses on simplicity and abstraction, providing features like reflection, dynamic typing, and a powerful messaging system that allows objects to communicate with each other.

  6. Community and Ecosystem: Finally, C++ and Smalltalk have distinct communities and ecosystems surrounding them. C++ has a large and active community with extensive libraries, frameworks, and tools available for various domains and platforms. Smalltalk, although smaller in comparison, also has a dedicated community with a focus on Smalltalk's unique strengths and ideals, such as the Smalltalk-80 standard and the Squeak/Pharo dialects.

In Summary, C++ and Smalltalk differ in their syntax, object-oriented paradigm, memory management, execution method, language features, and community ecosystem, making them distinct programming languages with different strengths and use cases.

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Advice on C++, Smalltalk

albert
albert

May 5, 2020

Needs advice

I am currently learning Back-End design, and I am confused with the term Back-End API. My question is do I need to have a webserver? That is the Browser send a http request to the Webserver, based on the URL, the Webserver will execute the WEB API and route the request to it and send back the response received from the WEB API to the browser. If so, what are the differences from the WebServer to execute a CGI in the traditional architecture?

If this is not the case, is the WEB API a standalone server/application that can process the HTTP request and send back the response to the browser? Thank you very much for clarifying...

63.7k views63.7k
Comments
Russtopia
Russtopia

Sr. Doodad Imagineer at Russtopia Labs

Dec 8, 2019

Decided

As a personal research project I wanted to add post-quantum crypto KEM (key encapsulation) algorithms and new symmetric crypto session algorithms to openssh. I found the openssh code and its channel/context management extremely complex.

Concurrently, I was learning Go. It occurred to me that Go's excellent standard library, including crypto libraries, plus its much safer memory model and string/buffer handling would be better suited to a secure remote shell solution. So I started from scratch, writing a clean-room Go-based solution, without regard for ssh compatibility. Interactive and token-based login, secure copy and tunnels.

Of course, it needs a proper security audit for side channel attacks, protocol vulnerabilities and so on -- but I was impressed by how much simpler a client-server application with crypto and complex terminal handling was in Go.

<pre> $ sloc openssh-portable Languages Files Code Comment Blank Total CodeLns Total 502 112982 14327 15705 143014 100.0% C 389 105938 13349 14416 133703 93.5% Shell 92 6118 937 1129 8184 5.7% Make 16 468 37 131 636 0.4% AWK 1 363 0 7 370 0.3% C++ 3 79 4 18 101 0.1% Conf 1 16 0 4 20 0.0% $ sloc xs Languages Files Code Comment Blank Total CodeLns Total 34 3658 1231 655 5544 100.0% Go 19 3230 1199 507 4936 89.0% Markdown 2 181 0 76 257 4.6% Make 7 148 4 50 202 3.6% YAML 1 39 0 5 44 0.8% Text 1 30 0 7 37 0.7% Modula 1 16 0 2 18 0.3% Shell 3 14 28 8 50 0.9% </pre>

https://gogs.blitter.com/RLabs/xs

233k views233k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

C++
C++
Smalltalk
Smalltalk

C++ compiles directly to a machine's native code, allowing it to be one of the fastest languages in the world, if optimized.

It is an object-oriented, dynamically typed reflective programming language. It was created as the language underpinning the "new world" of computing exemplified by "human–computer symbiosis". It was designed and created in part for educational use, specifically for constructionist learning.

-
Object-oriented; Dynamically typed; Reflective programming language
Statistics
Stacks
18.2K
Stacks
554
Followers
9.4K
Followers
42
Votes
866
Votes
0
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 205
    Performance
  • 108
    Control over memory allocation
  • 99
    Cross-platform
  • 98
    Fast
  • 85
    Object oriented
Cons
  • 8
    Slow compilation
  • 8
    Unsafe
  • 6
    Fragile ABI
  • 6
    Over-complicated
  • 5
    No standard/mainstream dependency management
No community feedback yet
Integrations
No integrations available
Linux
Linux
macOS
macOS
Windows
Windows

What are some alternatives to C++, Smalltalk?

JavaScript

JavaScript

JavaScript is most known as the scripting language for Web pages, but used in many non-browser environments as well such as node.js or Apache CouchDB. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic,and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles.

Python

Python

Python is a general purpose programming language created by Guido Van Rossum. Python is most praised for its elegant syntax and readable code, if you are just beginning your programming career python suits you best.

PHP

PHP

Fast, flexible and pragmatic, PHP powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world.

Ruby

Ruby

Ruby is a language of careful balance. Its creator, Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto, blended parts of his favorite languages (Perl, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Ada, and Lisp) to form a new language that balanced functional programming with imperative programming.

Java

Java

Java is a programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. There are lots of applications and websites that will not work unless you have Java installed, and more are created every day. Java is fast, secure, and reliable. From laptops to datacenters, game consoles to scientific supercomputers, cell phones to the Internet, Java is everywhere!

Golang

Golang

Go is expressive, concise, clean, and efficient. Its concurrency mechanisms make it easy to write programs that get the most out of multicore and networked machines, while its novel type system enables flexible and modular program construction. Go compiles quickly to machine code yet has the convenience of garbage collection and the power of run-time reflection. It's a fast, statically typed, compiled language that feels like a dynamically typed, interpreted language.

HTML5

HTML5

HTML5 is a core technology markup language of the Internet used for structuring and presenting content for the World Wide Web. As of October 2014 this is the final and complete fifth revision of the HTML standard of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The previous version, HTML 4, was standardised in 1997.

C#

C#

C# (pronounced "See Sharp") is a simple, modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language. C# has its roots in the C family of languages and will be immediately familiar to C, C++, Java, and JavaScript programmers.

Scala

Scala

Scala is an acronym for “Scalable Language”. This means that Scala grows with you. You can play with it by typing one-line expressions and observing the results. But you can also rely on it for large mission critical systems, as many companies, including Twitter, LinkedIn, or Intel do. To some, Scala feels like a scripting language. Its syntax is concise and low ceremony; its types get out of the way because the compiler can infer them.

Elixir

Elixir

Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known for running low-latency, distributed and fault-tolerant systems, while also being successfully used in web development and the embedded software domain.

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