What are the advantages of using C++ for systems programming?

My primary programming language is not C++, yet I have some practical experience with it and possess theoretical knowledge. I would say that the true benefits of using C++ are revealed under heavy workloads and in businesses of considerable scale, such as Amazon or Microsoft. Even a slight advantage in memory usage or processing speed for tasks with small data volumes can translate into significant cost savings under heavy workloads.

My first programming experience was with C++, which I enjoy since it inherits low-level capabilities from C, giving you direct control over memory addresses, pointers, bit fields, and binary data. This level of control enables optimal use of system resources and optimization of crucial portions. C++ also supports inline assembly, which allows for the inclusion of assembly code for further performance optimization or the use of hardware-specific instructions.

Systems programming covers a wide scope, but using C++ still allows one to gain low-level access to registers, IO, timers, memory, or any resource or abstraction layer the platform may have and tailor it for best performance and/or reliability.

C++ for systems development supports object-oriented and generic programming, as well as low-level features inherited from C. It allows you to organize code into classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism for better system design and code reuse. It also lets you write efficient and expressive code that works with many data types by leveraging templates, containers, and algorithms. This combination of paradigms, combined with low-level control, gives developers a diverse toolkit for effectively addressing various system programming difficulties.

Most OOP capable language platforms support a variation in coding style, whether to use OOP or not, or a mix. C++ was not the first to do this. Systems programming can benefit from OOP as far as code is organized, re-used, and style is homogenized but OOP does not necessarily benefit performance. Whether or not that matters, performance can also be scaled on hardware.

C++ may be known for high-performance but it may not always have the highest-performance due to code organization. That may not matter for systems programming as one is not developing a radio correlator or something that needs to meet absolute space and speed requirements. Developing with C++ can surely be more efficient from a developer perspective and that is what is most important for 95% of all systems related tasks, but the highest performance and optimization is not from OOP.

In creating a system design for a major tech company, Google's development of the Chrome browser is a notable example. Google chose C++ for its performance-critical components, leveraging the language's efficiency and control over system resources. C++ offers direct access to hardware and memory management, crucial for Chrome's speed and lightweight footprint. Its object-oriented nature facilitates modular, maintainable code, essential for the browser's complex functionality. Furthermore, C++'s vast ecosystem and mature tooling allowed for rapid development and testing across various platforms.