C++ in practice: Why the language is more relevant today than ever
C++ is not an “old” language — it is a powerful tool when precision, performance and hardware proximity are required. At normalis, we regularly develop scenarios like this. In discussions with our developers, in particular with our senior developer Tobias Ronge, it is clear that anyone who really understands C++ has a clear strategic advantage.
when C++ is the best choice
C++ gives you as a developer maximum control — over memory, threads, hardware. That's exactly what you need in environments where:
- resources are limited
- minimum latency counts
- is spoken directly to hardware
- performance must remain predictable and stable
Instead of relying on high levels of abstraction, you optimize specifically and consciously. The result: constant memory usage, fast response times, stable running time. It is precisely these properties that are decisive for embedded systems or real-time applications.
C++ and modern approaches are not mutually exclusive
C++ is often labelled as “old-fashioned,” and the language is excellent to combine with modern development practices. Unit testing, static code analysis, modern C++ standards, and clean code principles help to keep complexity under control and increase maintainability. In our projects, we use a combination of modern C++ (e.g. C++17/20), automated testing and code reviews to balance quality and speed. This is how we use the full performance of C++ — without sacrificing the long-term readability and expandability of the code.
three things we see in practice all the time
1. build environment as a bottleneck
C++ projects must be built cleanly — especially with multi-platform goals. Without well-maintained toolchains, stable CI pipelines and well-thought-out build strategies, this quickly becomes a source of error. Stability starts here, not just in code.
2. storage management is a responsibility
Full control of storage is not a nice-to-have, but a daily challenge. Without discipline, leaks, overflows, or race conditions creep in. Our experience: Those who rely on Smart Pointers, RAII and clean code reviews remain stable in the long term.
3. Hardware thinking becomes part of everyday life
Whether it's cache-friendly data structures, lock-free synchronization or direct register access — with C++, you develop with the system in mind. This is not theoretical knowledge, but daily reality in our projects.
conclusion: C++ stays — if you really mean it
C++ shows its full strength in projects with high performance requirements, safety-critical components or direct hardware communication. But only if you use it consciously and with vision. Because in the end, it's not the language that counts — but how you use it.
