this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2026
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Programming

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Software taketh away faster than hardware giveth: Why C++ programmers keep growing fast despite competition, safety, and AI (herbsutter.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org to c/programming@programming.dev
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To put C++’s growth in context:

Compared to all languages: There are now more C++ developers than the #1 language had just four years ago. Compared to Rust: Each of C++, Python, and Java just added about as many developers in one year as there are Rust total developers in the world.

Whoa. That are some carefully selected numbers. It is like saying that I am earning much better money than my 16-year-old nephew (who just finished school), and that, because my job is installing and servicing coal stoves and coal stoves are still used in large part of the country, the coal stove industry is in a totally healthy state.

Hmm. Sounds like C++ is losing ground to Rust - which is much younger - fast.

Especially considering that according to the Stack Overflow surveys, young programmers tend to get into C++, but experienced developers clearly prefer Rust.

Of course, C++ isn't going to dissppear. It will continue to be used for a long time, especially in old, mature code bases. But the same is true for COBOL. And very few new projects use COBOL. In the same way as some scholars and archeologists need to know Latin, but very few publish research or write new books in Latin - even if it was the language of science just a couple hundred years ago.

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[–] anyhow2503@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The choice of programming language for new projects almost always comes down to the existing ecosystem and its popularity in the space you're working in. Some of the most popular languages also have the advantage of being deeply embedded in the academic pipelines educating newcomers to the field, which obviously includes C++. Being one of the worst choices for a first programming language to learn hasn't stopped C++ yet and likely won't for a long time to come.

[–] ulterno@programming.dev 0 points 6 days ago

Considering that I see more Java positions than C++ positions when searching, I'm not surprised at all.

[–] termaxima@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 week ago

Maybe the academic environment is different here in France, but the most taught language is still C89 here (after Python as beginner language) and C++ doesn't seem very common.

On the OOP side, every single uni I've checked or been to uses Java. I really dislike Java, but I must admit it is the most appropriate language to teach OOP as far as I know.