Low-level programming outside of C?

[Guest]

With the recent buzz with low-level graphics APIs, like Metal, Mantle, DirectX12, and Vulkan, I was wondering what was it that made these APIs "low-level." And what I found was that pointers are the key to coding low-level access t hardware. Is that correct? If so, then how would you take advantage of that if you are using a programming language that doesn't have pointers, like Java or Swift?

[79wjd]

Java isn't a low level language, so.... 

[manikyath]

java wasnt made to be low-level. quite the oposite actually.

 

java was designed to have applications run in a semi-shielded enviroment to avoid applications (accidentially) tap into memory outside their own pool, to avoid system-crippling memory leaks, and some other stuff.

 

if you want to program low level, pick a language designed to do so.

[trag1c]

It isn't the language that makes those API's low level, its the fact that there is much less abstraction by the runtime to the hardware. The graphics programmer has to do a lot more work to perform tasks but there is a lot less overhead.

[EpicAdom]

With the recent buzz with low-level graphics APIs, like Metal, Mantle, DirectX12, and Vulkan, I was wondering what was it that made these APIs "low-level." And what I found was that pointers are the key to coding low-level access t hardware. Is that correct? If so, then how would you take advantage of that if you are using a programming language that doesn't have pointers, like Java or Swift?

C and C++ are the major low level languages in use right now, and there's assembly of course.

[PaulKolby]

C and C++ are the major low level languages in use right now, and there's assembly of course.

dat guy is silly u got to use c--

[EpicAdom]

dat guy is silly u got to use c--

Go home ur drunk

[PaulKolby]

Go home ur drunk

only on tuesday i am perfectly sober c-- is da way go m8

[madknight3]

When you're using a language that isn't up to the performance that's needed for a specific task, often that part of the application is written in another language that can handle it. For example, here is some discussion on the topic in regards to Python.

[Guest]

Still, I noticed that in the Apple WWDC 2015 event, the presentation noted that Swift 2 has "C Pointer APIs." What does that mean and how did they do that in a language that doesn't have pointers?

[fizzlesticks]

Still, I noticed that in the Apple WWDC 2015 event, the presentation noted that Swift 2 has "C Pointer APIs." What does that mean and how did they do that in a language that doesn't have pointers?

Swift does have pointers. https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Swift/Conceptual/BuildingCocoaApps/InteractingWithCAPIs.html

[Guest]

dat guy is silly u got to use c--

I prefer arnoldC

[manon_gfx]

Pointers is not what makes a language 'low-level'. (It's actually funny how modern C++ tries to avoid pointers as much as possible.)
Going lower level simply means less stuff is abstracted away.
The main reason languages like python, javascript and a whole bunch are considered high level is because a lot is abstracted away. Like pointers, functors, virtual function tables, manual memory management, etc, etc.
Languages like C and C++ do give you control over these, which makes them considered more low level.

Now about the graphics API's. What they have basically done, is they took a whole bunch of abstractions out to give more control to the programmer. There is a term called developer to triangle time, which means the time a dev has to spent to get a triangle on the screen with a reasonable system. For DX11 and OpenGL it was about 1 to 2 days, for Vulkan and DX12 is about 2 weeks. Yes 2 weeks. You get all the control they can give you. This means that it is a lot more work to do things, but they can be made a lot more efficient.

 

I hope this helps. If you have more questions, let me know!