You're probably using an IDE that checks your syntax as you type, highlighting keywords and surfacing compiler warnings and errors in real time. Autocomplete fills out structs for you. You can hover to get the definition of a type or a function prototype, or you can click and dig in to the implementation. You have multiple files open, multiple projects, even.

Not to mention you're probably also using source control, committing code and switching between branches. You have unit tests and CI.

Let's not pretend the C developer experience is what it was 30 years ago, let alone 50.

▲

CamperBob2 3 hours ago | parent [-]

I disagree that any of those things are even slightly material to the topic. It's like saying my car is fundamentally different from a 1972 model because it has ABS, airbags, and a satnav.

Reply due to rate limiting:

K&R didn't know about CI/CD, but everything else you mention has either existed for over 30 years or is too trivial to argue about.

Conversely, if you took Claude Code or similar tools back to 1996, they would grab a crucifix and scream for an exorcist.

	▲	badc0ffee 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You said C developers are doing things the "same old way" as always. I think you're taking for granted the massive productivity boost that happened even before today's era of LLM agents.