A writer named Eric examines where the 'else' keyword in programming languages came from, noting that 'else' is not used as a conjunction in ordinary English speech. He traces conditional logic back to 1946 work on the Eniac computer by Haskell Curry and Willa Wyatt, who called the concept 'discrimination' rather than 'else', and follows how conditional jump instructions evolved as computers moved from plugboard wiring to stored-program memory.
github.com
· 2026-10-25
A developer's personal blog post demonstrates that GCC 16.2, when compiling C code that triggers undefined behavior (via std::unreachable() or a null pointer dereference), can generate assembly that executes a completely separate, never-called function. In one example, writing to a 'device_command' variable followed by undefined behavior causes the compiler to also emit code for an unrelated 'explode()' function that was never invoked in the source.
blog.habets.se
· 2026-10-25
A newly published language called Goose introduces a memory-safe systems programming model that avoids a heap allocator, garbage collector, and lifetime annotations, instead placing all dynamic values on compiler-managed data stacks. Its creators report that across sixteen benchmarks Goose runs 3.3x faster than idiomatic C++, 1.16x faster than hand-optimized C++, and 1.12x faster than the fastest safe Rust code, while using 1.2x to 1.9x less memory.
aardappel.github.io
· 2026-10-24
In a short essay, computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra critiques the idea of programming computers using natural human language instead of formal symbolic languages. He traces the history of programming languages, noting how high-level languages improved error detection compared to machine code, but argues that the underlying machines remain literal and unforgiving 'slaves' regardless of the language used. Dijkstra contends that proposals to let people instruct machines in their native tongue misunderstand the fundamental nature of programming.
cs.utexas.edu
· 2026-10-23
A developer posted a prototype on Hacker News called Impossible Machines, which generates mechanical linkages or systems based on a user's stated goals rather than manual design. Users can specify elements like a sink's position or an obstacle, and the system produces a mechanism meeting those constraints.
impossiblemachines.xyz
· 2026-10-22
TornadoVM, the open-source framework that accelerates Java workloads on CPUs and GPUs, has released version 7.3. The update replaces the Java Native Interface with the Foreign Function & Memory API, removes the experimental JVMCI dependency, and standardizes compiler metadata access across JDK 21, 25, 26 and 27 using reflection, ASM and Unsafe. It also adds a CUDA backend that supports Nvidia's cuTile model via a new TileContext and lets developers call libraries like cuBLAS and CUTLASS directly from TornadoVM TaskGraphs, with equivalent support added for Apple's MXL.
infoq.com
· 2026-10-22
Researchers using artificial intelligence discovered long-standing vulnerabilities in PHP, the programming language that powers a large share of the world's websites. The flaws, undetected for more than ten years, prompted governments and cyber-security agencies to issue an emergency fix and advise some website operators to take systems offline until patched. Cyber-security firm Wiz and OpenAI, whose AI tools helped surface the issues, both described the discovery as among the most significant security findings in recent memory.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-10-22
A viral tweet jokingly renaming AI-assisted 'vibe coding' as 'cuck coding' — because programmers just watch AI write code — has spread through tech circles including Reddit's r/ClaudeCoding. The joke reflects growing unease among programmers as employers increasingly push AI coding tools, with Epic Games reportedly telling staff on an unnamed project there would be 'no more hand-written code.'
futurism.com
· 2026-10-21
Netflix reported third-quarter revenue grew 12% year-over-year, its slowest growth rate in years. The report coincides with a reorganization of the company's programming units.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-20
A commentary addresses the question of whether Ruby on Rails remains relevant now that large language models can generate code cheaply in any language, including proposals to rewrite applications in Rust. The author argues that frameworks, libraries, databases and operating systems remain useful because the productivity benefits they offer developers—structure, security updates, avoiding reinvented wheels—apply equally to LLMs writing code.
tech.dirkjonker.nl
· 2026-10-19
Doubl has unveiled Maxwell, described as a new kind of model that operates between source code and the hardware executing it, aiming to let software adapt during execution rather than run purely as fixed, deterministic instructions. The announcement frames traditional computing as splitting all 'thinking' into the programming stage, with execution remaining mechanical, and positions Maxwell as a way to bring AI-driven adjustment into the execution process itself.
heymaxwell.ai
· 2026-10-19
TIOBE's October 2026 language popularity rankings show R overtaking SQL in the top 10, while Julia returns to the top 20 for the first time in three years, climbing from No. 21 to No. 18. Go fell out of the top 10, dropping from No. 8 a year ago to No. 11, and Delphi/Object Pascal tumbled from No. 9 to No. 19. Python, C, C++, Java, C#, and JavaScript retain their top-six spots, Rust holds at No. 10, and Dart and OCaml both surged toward the top 20.
developers.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-18
GoKawiil