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Oh noes, the binding of internal compiler state to STL will become even more severe with this. It started slowly. You needed exact magic std::initializer_list definition in your headers to match the code generated by the compiler, or the program would crash. RTTI (that was of little use to programs that tried to avoid standard library) Now there are coroutines and this thing. I feel like it is bye-bye to the completely non-standard compliant practice of using C++ without all the standard library. Where should embedded c++ projects go now that they are not welcome anymore?

jcelerier
> Where should embedded c++ projects go now that they are not welcome anymore?

I'm just using all of this on embedded platforms without issues - and can't wait to use reflection there either, it'll be ultra useful for ESP32 and Teensy projects we're working on

adrian17
The std::meta stuff are only ever running at compile time, so I don't think this would actually interfere much?
112233 OP
now that a lot of std:: is constexpr, who knows how much of it will get pulled into compile time by std::meta stuff (I do not. I am asking). I know of no way of using different std libraries, one for compile time and one for target. Meaning, using this c++ variant without std library shipped with the compiler just got even impossiblier.
TuxSH
About everything in std::initializer_list is noexcept, and builtin wrappers (type traits, bit_cast etc etc.) are 0-cost.

You shouldn't try to avoid all of the stdlib, but rather vet what you use from it. Furthermore, stuff like LTO or -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections (+ --gc-section when linking) gets rid of unused symbols, as long as your toolchain provider compiles the C stdlib and C++ stdlib with these

> coroutines

Almost everything is customizable by user (including class-scoped operator new), is it not?

> Where should embedded c++ projects go now that they are not welcome anymore?

C++ is still very much suitable for embedded, and while I disagree with most of your post I agree that: 1) there should be a linker flag to wrap all std:: exceptions instead of using -Wl,-wrap for each individual exception when needed and 2) that embedded feels like a second-class citizen sometimes ("deprecating volatile" (reverted), #embed missing C++23 etc)

112233 OP
Thank you! It is nice to see that others keep trying and using C++ for embedded. As to 'vetting' the use of std library — I do not see how to do it without making a fork (or writing own "stripped down" version from scratch). E.g., you cannot simply decide not to use container allocator parameters, to reduce symbol sizes.

The point I tried to make is that you cannot reasonably use modern features of C++ with your own standard library — the amount of undocumented internal compiler details you have to guess and match exactly is becoming unmanageable. And while -fno-rtti and -fno-exceptions still miraculously are supported by compilers (it is explicitly non-conforming C++ even in "freestanding" implementation, according to 16.4.2.5) and stop compiler from emitting references to std::, other features like allocators do not have an "off" switch.

The initializer_list is a good example. N4950 17.10 explicitly tells you there are multiple valid ways to implement it. If you guess incorrectly, your program will crash.

So current C++ standard library must be treated like part of the compiler implementation. It did not use to be like that.

pjmlp
Historical accident, as until 1998 there was hardly any C++ standard library.

There was the C standard library that could be consumed by C++ applications, the C++ frameworks specific to each compiler vendor that sadly are no longer a thing, and the C++ ARM de facto standard with only iostreams, being used as the initial discussion for what would become C++98, a decade later.

Many of C++ warts are related to this historical evolution, like how many variations of string, arrays and other collection classes do you want to use in a single project?

TuxSH
> As to 'vetting' the use of std library — I do not see how to do it without making a fork (or writing own "stripped down" version from scratch). E.g., you cannot simply decide not to use container allocator parameters, to reduce symbol sizes.

Yes, correct, what I meant is that you can still use many features like type_traits, bit_cast, initializer_list, span, array etc. Of course, std::string and friends are a bit no-no in very memory constrained cases.

> So current C++ standard library must be treated like part of the compiler implementation.

Indeed. Though even in C, compiler will assume C standard library is present unless you explicitly tell it not to (it optimizes calls to memcpy and will emit memset calls when initializing variables to 0)

theICEBeardk
I work on a c++23 embedded platform that is used in very small microprocessors up to embedded linux stuff. We ship stuff that needs to run constant and C was just too unsafe for us (C requires you to remember to call functions RAII saves you from that) so we switched 2 decades ago (before my time there).

C++23 is not abandoning embedded. Instead there is a tonne of misinformation around that is confusing people. You can easily tell what parts of the STD is available by looking up the concept of Freestanding, which is a legitimate part of the c++ standard which tells you what is absolutely safe to use in embedded. Usually some of the non-freestanding stuff is also safe to use.

Then what you do is add support for the ETL (github.com/ETLCPP/) which will help you by offering STD like classes for the parts that are not safe to use or just give you the std class wrapped in their namespace.

What we do is turn off RTTI and for now exceptions (most compilers let you do that with ease but we are looking at maybe using them in the future because of recent research indicating it would be possible and save us binary size at the same time) and you lean heavily into the constexpr side of things because anything you can get the compiler that is running nightly or on your PC to do rather than on the embedded system is just fine. We do not use coroutines so there I have no opinion.

Personally I am looking forward to the Reflection stuff because it is all compile time (and no that does not mean that your std on your pc somehow leaks illegal functions into your code constexpr/consteval is embedded safe) and it will allow me to make code that will be easier to debug than the recursive template expansions are now (stepping through a recursion is bad even if we strictly limit the depth of them but reflection will allow me to do an expansion into a flat set of ifs instead).

112233 OP
Yes, let's everyone look up the "freestanding" concept in N4950 section 16.4.2.5, and take note how it requires both exceptions and RTTI. Is that what you meant by "C++23 is not abandoning embedded"?

Yes, compilers support turning off exceptions and RTTI, for a long time now. C++ language does not. They could have supported it, but have chosen to explicitly not, as seen in the above section from the standard.

Nothing the committee does seem to support embedded. I will be glad to be shown I'm wrong.

SleepyMyroslav
You are right. Its not the job of the committee to support anything. They just have to vote on proposals.

Imagine Linux devs would start worrying about what "C standard" wants xD.

In my industry (gamedev), folks never needed to worry about how non-standard our code is either. As long as it ships on relevant half-dozen platforms and gets job done, its fine. One does not get a Boy scout badge for being standard compliant.

binary132
In C++ if you’re not standards compliant you are running the risk of hidden UB big time. Maybe your compiler will reveal it to you, probably not. Good luck!
pjmlp
Same with C, no game developer has ever lost sleep over that.

In fact they rely on lots of hardware UB for some console tricks.

dodomodo
It's not that hard to just copy the relevant part from the standard library of your platform

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