[FFmpeg-devel] Re: [RFC] C++

[Gregor Riepl via ffmpeg-devel <ffmpeg-devel@ffmpeg.org>]

> My main motivation is to be able to use STL, which would simplify
> string handling and memory management, and give us access to its data
> structures. Manual memory management has its place, especially in lavc.
> In lavf less so. RAII would do wonders in de-gotofying error handling.
> Features like std::filesystem, std::chrono, std::thread etc abstract
> away many OS particularities. Thorough STL-ification would render parts
> of lavu obsolete. avstring.*, bprintf.* and tree.* come to mind. This
> would have security benefits. Another reason is stronger typing, which
> tends to reveal bugs.

Just for the sake of the argument: Wouldn't it be better to opt for an even safer language than C++, like Rust?

C++ has received a lot of criticism in being just as memory unsafe as C, and I personally think that it adds an epic amount of complexity to writing correct code. Although - that may or may not be the case depending on where and how it's used in the code base.

I don't have any preference either way, but it seems to me that investing effort to make the internals of FFmpeg safer and easier to use would be better spent on a more modern and robust language than C++.

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