About using C++ for kernel drivers

Paulo Pinto pjmlp at progtools.org
Fri Jul 15 02:52:15 PDT 2011


At least MacOS X drivers are developed in a subset of C++
http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/DeviceDrivers/Conceptual/IOKitFundamentals/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP0000011-CH204-TPXREF101

Symbian is fully C++ with some assembly

So there are at least two comercial OS using C++ to write kernel drivers.

If we take Modula2+, Modula-3 and Oberon family of languages into 
consideration, there are quite a few OS using higher
level languages to write their drivers, even if the OS were mostly used 
inside research labs. I am sure there are a few
more examples available.

So I don't see an issue with D.

--
Paulo

"bearophile" <bearophileHUGS at lycos.com> wrote in message 
news:ivnt08$17og$1 at digitalmars.com...
> An article about the problems in using C++ to write Windows drivers, "C++ 
> for Kernel Mode Drivers: Pros and Cons" (February 2007):
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg487420.aspx
>
> The article shows why C++ is not so fit for this purpose. Is D even worse 
> for this purpose? If this is true then is it possible to improve D a bit 
> for such low level purposes? How? Even if it is possible to improve D to 
> such purposes, is it worth it? Such purposes after all are quite a niche, 
> most programmers don't need to write kernel mode drivers and similar 
> things. Anyway, I hope someday people will design a system language better 
> than C and very fit for such niche but important purposes too :-)
>
> Bye,
> bearophile 




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