Will Carbon Replace C++?

Chandler Carruth, at CppNorth 2022, introduced Carbon Language as an experimental successor to C++, addressing the limitations of modernizing C++ due to its accumulated technical debt and the community's priority on backward compatibility. Carbon aims to enhance interoperability with existing C++ code while focusing on performance, simplicity, safety, and scalability. Unlike garbage-collected languages, Carbon does not compromise on performance, and although Rust is a viable low-level language option, its integration with existing C++ ecosystems can be challenging. Carbon is designed to be adopted alongside existing C++ codebases, optimizing the learning curve and supporting migration with improved tooling such as compilers, formatters, and IDE support. The language emphasizes simplified syntax and reserved words to improve readability and tooling efficiency. While still experimental, Carbon's roadmap indicates a potential release by 2025–2026, drawing parallels with successful successors like Swift and Kotlin, and aiming for wide adoption among companies looking to address C++’s existing challenges.