Carbon (programming language)

Carbon is an experimental, general-purpose programming language under development by Google as a potential successor to C++. It is designed to address perceived shortcomings in C++ while maintaining performance critical characteristics. The project aims to provide a gentler learning curve than C++, easier adoption for existing C++ codebases through bi-directional interoperability, and an upgrade path from C++ rather than a complete rewrite.

Carbon's core design principles emphasize performance that is close to that of C++, software and hardware evolution, and ease of use. Key goals include providing a modern language foundation that addresses areas where C++ faces challenges, such as build systems, dependencies, and long-term language evolution.

A key differentiator of Carbon is its approach to gradual adoption from C++. Rather than being completely incompatible with C++, Carbon aims to allow developers to incrementally migrate C++ codebases to Carbon, using the new language features where appropriate and maintaining compatibility with existing C++ code where necessary. This interoperability is intended to reduce the barrier to entry for developers and organizations with significant investments in C++.

The language is designed to be memory-safe by default, aiming to prevent common memory errors prevalent in C++, such as dangling pointers and buffer overflows. It also explores features like generics, modern modularity, and improved error handling mechanisms.

Carbon is open-source and is being developed with community participation. Its future direction and features will be shaped by the contributions and feedback of the open-source community. As of late 2024, Carbon is still in the experimental phase, and its specifications and toolchains are subject to change. While its ultimate adoption remains uncertain, the language represents a significant effort to address challenges in systems programming and offer a potential alternative to C++.