High-level is the goal
Why should anyone care about low-level programming?
Ben Visness
Recent posts by Ben Visness
Latest posts
Who needs Graphviz when you can build it yourself?
Exploring a new layout algorithm for control flow graphs.
Is Memory64 actually worth using?
The Memory64 proposal for WebAssembly has now shipped in major browsers. But should you actually use it?
Micro-libraries need to die already
Somehow people are still putting tiny libraries on npm, and it really needs to stop.
How does Spectre work?
An interactive explainer of Spectre, and my submission for the 2024 Handmade Learning Jam.
I made JSX for Lua (because I hate static sites)
This site now runs on a custom dialect of Lua.
“You can’t do that because I hate you.”
An infuriating pattern that devs need to stop.
Coroutines make robot code easy
Our FIRST Robotics team struggled with autonomous code for years. Coroutines were the missing piece.
How (not) to write a manifesto
The Handmade Manifesto is on its third revision now. Let's look back at old versions of the manifesto and see how our messaging has shifted over time.
"It's always a tradeoff"
Programmers love to say things like "it all depends" or "it's always a tradeoff". This makes them sound very wise, but it's usually a cop-out.
I did Advent of Code on a PlayStation
How far can I get in Advent of Code if I do all the problems in Dreams?
Essential complexity does not exist
Trying to define "essential complexity" is a waste of time, but maybe not for the reason you think.
Untangling a bizarre WASM crash in Chrome
How we solved a strange issue involving the guts of Chrome and the Go compiler.
How to make a 3D renderer in Desmos
Learn about the math of 3D rendering, and how to convince a 2D graphing calculator to produce 3D images.
UE4: How to Make Awesome Buttons in VR
Or: why the physics engine is not your friend.
Blender masking layers: a quick tutorial
A long response to a short StackExchange question.
UE4: Controlling Spotify in-game
And iTunes, Windows Media Player, and everything else, with just a little bit of Windows API magic.
Compiling and using libgit2
How to build libgit2 from source, install it on your computer, and use it in a project without linker errors.
Project spotlight: VRInteractions
An engine plugin for Unreal Engine 4 that makes it easy to create interactive objects in VR.