Why is C++ so big?

[MrD.]

Interrupted == Interpreted?

Yes C/C++ are great languages for doing low level work(fantastic actually) but ... how long does it take you to write a few lines of code? Ages

No, not really. I guess it depends what you are trying to do, but for the stuff I usually do I can knock up some working code pretty fast.

and its probably buggy as hell

Once again, no. If any code you produce turns out 'buggy as hell' then maybe (and this isn't aimed at you, it's just a general statement) you need to move away from a language that holds your hand on failure to one that kicks your arse. That should motivate you to fix your errant ways.

just look at assembler, at one time it was king of the pile

Irrelevant really, but I've heard people could (when the Wii compiler first game out) hand-write better assembly (without really knowing about how the underlying architecture works) than the Wii compiler was able to produce.

I think the main reason I like to use C++ is that I like having direct control over what is happening. I like that I have explicit control over an objects lifetime by new and delete. I like that the language gives you several ways to do various things and you have to pick the best for your situation. I like that you are able to do all kinds of crazy stuff that higher-level languages stop you being able to do. I like pointers. I like the speed. I like the power. And because I like all these things, that's what makes programming in C++ fun for me. You may think me a masochist, but hey, at least I'm enjoying myself.