On Fri, May 22, 2020, 5:52 AM Tyler Adams <coppero1237@gmail.com> wrote:

<snip>

So, now Im curious about embedded systems. In my limited experience, every "embedded system" I programmed for from 2002-2011 had C as its primary language. After 2011, I stopped programming embedded systems, so I don't know after that. Why was C so dominant in this space? Is it because adding a backend to gcc was free, C was already well known, and C was sufficiently performant?

I don't know how much gcc contributed to the success of C in the embedded space. Microcontrollers are often programmed in assembly. They have memory and speed constraints, much like the PDPs where C began. I think it goes back to what Larry said about C being so close to the metal.