CppCast

Jamie Pendergast, hobbyist C++ developer and compiler enthusiast who builds a voxel engine and an optimizing compiler. They talk about C++20 features like designated initializers. They discuss compiler toolchain work, SIMD acceleration in mesh generation, and the design of a hobby optimizing compiler. They also cover job-hunting experiences and geographic hiring limits.

They reflect on the state of C++ features like reflection and contracts and how those affect libraries and tooling. They compare Rust and C++ trade offs, including generics, borrow rules, and why some teams stick with C++. They discuss Qt's moc versus upcoming reflection work and share community news, polls, and personal updates about burnout and project changes.

Herb Sutter, longtime ISO C++ convener and designer of key language features, discusses C++26’s big move toward static reflection. He covers constexpr debugging, splicers for compile-time generation, meta-classes and auto-generated types, automatic differentiation for AI, and cross-language bindings. Conversation also touches senders/receivers, contracts, and the committee’s direction.

Matt Kulukundis, CEO and co-founder of BrontoSource and former Google software lead, discusses modernizing legacy codebases with his startup. He elaborates on the innovative Swiss Tables algorithm, showcasing its advancements in hash table performance. The conversation dives into AI's role in static code analysis and the challenges involved in migrating C and C++ to Rust. Additionally, Matt shares insights on the integration of whimsical tech mascots to enhance user experience, reflecting on how creativity meets technology in software development.

Phil and Timur are joined by Jason Turner, Matt Godbolt, Anastasia Kazakova and Guy Davidson to celebrate 400 episodes of CppCast and catch up with the co-hosts that have helped us keep up for the last 50 of them! News Boost.Bloom has been accepted into Boost "Three types of name lookups in C++" - Sandor Dargo "How Compiler Explorer Works in 2025" - Matt Godbolt Links Episode 376 with Rainer Grimm Rainer's website and blog - with updates on his ALS journey

Kristen Shaker joins Timur and Phil. Kristen talks to us about her C++ on Sea keynote about the C++ interview process, her previous work at Google, and why she has made a slightly unusual career change. News libc++ removed the base template for std::char_traits "how to break or continue from a lambda loop?" - Vittoria Romeo Results from the 2025 Annual C++ Developer Survey "Lite" (pdf) Links C++ on Sea schedule (with Kristen and Timur's keynotes) BrontoSource "What Can We Learn From the Results of C++ Community Surveys?" - Anastasia Kazakova "Sorting Resumes" - Joel Spolsky (introducing the idea of filtering) "How to Build Your First C++ Automated Refactoring Tool" - Kristen's CppCon 2023 talk

Jonathan Wakely joins Phil and Timur. Jonathan talks to us about libstdc++ (GCC's standard library implementation), of which he is the lead maintainer, and tackles some tough questions like ABI compatibility - and how GCC and libstdc++ approach it. News GCC 15 released (release notes) Boost.OpenMethod review (finished) 2025 Annual C++ Developer Survey "Lite" (closed) Links GCC Mailing Lists

Daisy Hollman joins Phil and Anastasia. Daisy talks to us about the current state of the art in using LLM-based AI agents to help with software development, as well as where that is going in the future, and what impacts it is having (good and bad). News Clang 20 released Boost 1.88 released JSON for Modern C++ 3.12.0 Conferences: Pure Virtual C++ 2025 Full schedule C++ Now 2025 C++ on Sea 2025 - speakers C++ under the Sea 2025 Links "Not your Grandparent's C++" - Phil's talk "Robots Are After Your Job: Exploring Generative AI for C++" - Andrei Alexandrescu's closing CppCon 2023 keynote

Louis Dionne, code owner of libc++ at Apple and C++ standard committee member, discusses the adoption of the library hardening proposal set for C++26. He emphasizes the importance of enhancing safety and security in C++ through techniques that turn undefined behaviors into clear contract violations. The conversation also delves into innovations like a safe mode for memory safety, evolving hardening techniques, and the balancing act between performance and security. Dionne shares actionable insights for developers eager to adopt these practices today.

Timur and Phil return after an extended break with news and updates News Bjarne Stroustrup on How He Sees C++ Evolving Conferences round-up: ACCU Conference 2025 C++ Now 2025 C++ on Sea 2025 C++ North 2025 CppCon New Meetups: Singapore C++ USers Group ACCU Cambridge Links "Contracts and Safety for C++26" - C++ London January event "Not Your Grandparent's C++" - Phil's ACCU Cambridge talk