Carbon Language - Google's Latest C++ Escape Attempt

Google got tired of the C++ standardization committee saying "no" to everything they wanted. Remember the modules proposal? That took 20 fucking years. Google has Chrome to ship and ads to serve, so they decided to build their own language instead of waiting for standards bureaucracy.

The Real Story Behind Carbon

Google engineers spent decades trying to make C++ less painful. They wanted:

• Templates that don't take 10 minutes to compile
• ABI breaks that actually improve performance
• Memory safety that doesn't require rewriting millions of lines of code
• Build systems that don't make you want to quit programming

The C++ committee said "backwards compatibility" to all of it. So Google said "fuck it, we'll build our own language" and here we are.

Current Development Status (Spoiler: It's Rough)

As of September 2024, Carbon is experimental as hell:

• Platform support: Ubuntu only. Good luck if you're on Windows or macOS - you'll be waiting for WSL2 or Docker
• Compiler status: The thing crashes on anything complex. Basic "hello world" works on carbon.compiler-explorer.com but don't get excited
• Build requirements: Prepare to hate your life. Requires specific Clang versions, Bazel (because of course it does), and about 4 hours to compile from scratch
• Timeline: Official roadmap says 0.1 in 2026. Translation: 2028 if we're lucky, 2030 if Google doesn't get distracted

What Carbon Actually Is

Carbon is supposed to be a migration tool, not a replacement language. The idea:

• Call C++ from Carbon: No FFI bullshit, just direct function calls
• Call Carbon from C++: Your existing build systems won't explode
• Gradual conversion: Fix one file at a time instead of rewriting everything
• Memory safety later: Phase 1 is migration, Phase 2 is making it safe

The generics system looks like Rust traits but that's mostly unimplemented. Right now you get the same template hell as C++.

Is This Just Google Politics?

Obviously. Google got tired of the C++ committee cockblocking their improvements, so they're taking their toys and going home. Can't really blame them - the committee moves slower than continental drift.

The governance FAQ promises "community ownership" but Google pays the bills and makes the decisions. At least they're honest about it being their show.

The Carbon compiler exists and can compile "hello world" through carbon.compiler-explorer.com. Don't get excited - that's about where the party ends.

What You Can Actually Try

The compiler handles basic Carbon syntax:

package Sample api;
import Core library "io";

fn Add(a: i32, b: i32) -> i32 {
    return a + b;
}

fn Main() -> i32 {
    Core.Print("Hello from Carbon!");
    return Add(2, 3);
}

This compiles and runs, giving you a feel for the syntax. The language looks familiar to C++ developers but with consistent syntax rules and modern defaults.

What Doesn't Work (Everything Important)

Here's where shit falls apart:

Generics System

The design docs are longer than most novels, but the compiler segfaults on anything more complex than fn Add(a: i32, b: i32). The generics implementation promises Rust-like traits but delivers C++ template hell.

C++ Interoperability

The entire fucking point of Carbon doesn't work yet. You can't call C++ code. You can't inherit from C++ classes. You can't use C++ libraries. The 2024 roadmap was supposed to fix this. It didn't.

Memory Safety

The safety strategy is "we'll figure it out later." Current Carbon is exactly as unsafe as C++ but with more steps. Compare this to Rust's memory safety which actually works.

Module System

Import syntax exists but module resolution is broken. Good luck importing anything that isn't in the standard library (which also doesn't exist).

Building Carbon (Prepare for Pain)

Setting up Carbon development:

• Ubuntu Linux only (fuck Windows and macOS users apparently)
• Specific Clang versions that change monthly
• Bazel because Google loves making build systems painful
• 4-8 hours for initial compilation depending on your machine
• Daily git pull breaks your build 50% of the time

It's like building Chrome from source but worse. Only attempt this if you hate yourself or want to contribute patches.

Should You Even Bother?

Carbon is too early to use for anything real. The design documents are the only thing worth reading - they show what Google wants to build, even if they can't build it yet.

Want to try Carbon? Use the browser compiler and play with basic syntax. Don't waste a weekend trying to build it locally unless you're contributing to the project.