Using exceptions in C++ desktop and server applications overall made sense to me. As I expanded my usage of C++ into other domains, specifically embedded domains, I began to experience more compelling reasons not to use exceptions first-hand…
From lobste.rs
That remark was on sum types, not monads. You do not need “compiler support” to have Result or neither monads in C++. There are already plenty of libraries that implement those. I use them in some of my projects. No compiler support needed.
As I said, sum types are not required for Return or Either monads. At best, they are convenient.
The original claim wasn’t that you can’t implement monads in C++, it was that compiler support is needed for “good” sum types. Unless I’m misreading, you brought monads into it. And they’re not totally orthogonal: sum types are a very good way to implement monads.
You’re misreading it. What do you think a ‘
Result’ type is?Well, in Rust, it’s a sum-type, with functions that also let you use it like a monad instead of using explicit pattern matching.
The discussion is on to use monads in C++, and not on why is C++ different than Rust.
I repeat: you do not need sum types to implement a Result monad in C++.
The discussion was about sum types. The top-level comment, the one to which you originally responded, says: