Are there any good reasons to use C++ over Rust for new projects today?

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Are there any good reasons to use C++ over Rust for new projects today?

Hello! My go-to language to develop something that needs high performance has been C++. I do a lot of high frequency transactions, systems programming (implement tiny compilers/interpreters for domain specific problems and such), personal projects, etc. and I usually start my projects in C++. But it is increasingly looking like Rust can solve all the problems that C++ can without losing performance and while gaining better memory safety guarantees and better type invariance guarantees. The packaging story, Cargo, etc. of Rust are definitely very attractive!

So that brings me to the question. Is there any point in starting new projects in C++ anymore?

I don't want this to turn into a language flamewar. My question is in good faith and I do want to learn from the wisdom of the folks who comment here. People who have been using Rust for much longer than I have can offer valuable insights that I might not know. So to avoid flamewars, let me make this question as specific as possible:

  1. Is there any context in which it makes more sense to start a new project in C++ instead of Rust?
  2. For someone like me who is not too experienced in Rust, what are the things I should watch out for or be careful about when starting a new project in Rust?
  3. Any other free-form advice you have for someone like me who is considering making Rust my go-to language for doing new projects?
Discussion 113 comments · 31 points · repl · 2024-02-15
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