Whole Tomato Software

09/17/2026

A few months after we posted our blog on C++ modules, compiler support is still weird.

Most of the libraries you'd actually want still don't ship as modules. And migrating an old codebase to use it is still a huge (and expensive) project.

Nothing against modules. But it hasn't reached the promises it had, or what the 2020 hype suggested.

Anyone here fully switched over to modules?

https://tinyurl.com/bddsbvhp

See how C++ modules promise faster builds and cleaner code—plus the real-world reasons many teams are still holding back from full adoption.

09/11/2026

Our blog on coroutines is one of our most popular posts.

Probably because C++ Coroutines are easy to write, but miserable to read back.

It works like this: Write something that looks like regular top-to-bottom code. The compiler slices it into pieces that run whenever they're ready.

The code is easy when you're writing it. But it's less fine when you're trying to time and work out where a function picks back up.

Have you tried using coroutines yet? Did you change your mind after, or is it still a someday thing for you?

Read more: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/m9x6865j

Learn C++ Coroutines in C++20 and how they simplify async programming. Explore syntax, benefits, challenges, and real-world use cases.

09/09/2026

Rereading our post on C++26 reflection this morning and it exposed a trend in C++ features.

Reflection is interesting and genuinely good. Basically built-in compile-time introspection. Reduces the need for macros or codegen steps.

We may have missed it, but MSVC has nothing on it yet. No ETA, no announcement of implementation. And even when it does come, it's at least 12-24 months before we get something usable.

It's the classic "here's a great feature, check back in a couple of years," which is, sadly, a very normal C++ experience.

What's the last standard feature you actually got to use in production?

Long version, if you want it: 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dcw56adk

C++26 reflection landed in the standard. Here's what it changes for large MSVC C++ codebases — and what the Visual Studio support timeline looks like.

09/04/2026

What keeps semiconductor machines running? More than just hardware.

Behind the precision is long-lived C++ software handling sequencing, motion, vision, and factory communication.

Discover the software behind the machine. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/43bxfstf

Inside the C++ that runs semiconductor tools: sequencing, motion, machine vision and host communication, and why these codebases outlast the teams that built them.

09/03/2026

Visual Assist person licenses aren’t beginner licenses. It’s the same industry-standard tool, adjusted for the indie developer.

Your own projects, freelance work for a client, or the setup you want at home after you've shut down the work laptop. You bought it with your own money, so it goes where you go.

𝟯𝟬% 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬.

From $129 → $90, under $8 a month.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗡𝗼𝘄: https://tinyurl.com/h5yencdx

09/02/2026

Inherited a C++ codebase that’s become a tangled mess? Don’t rewrite it. Modernize it piece by piece.

See how Roger Swann transformed a legacy sensor-testing system into a stable, object-oriented codebase using incremental changes, testing, and C++Builder. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/4z3re5vh

How Roger Swann took a legacy MFC sensor-testing system from unmaintainable spaghetti to a stable, object-oriented codebase by migrating, not rewriting.

08/25/2026

An Unreal solution has thousands of files. Chris needed one of them.

He didn't open a single folder. Open File in Solution (Shift+Alt+O), type "shooter weapon," and the matches come up right away.

Same trick in any large C++ solution. The bigger the codebase, the more you feel it.

▶ Download and try Visual Assist. https://tinyurl.com/download-VA

08/06/2026

There's one part of coding in Unreal C++ that every dev hates: writing the same function boilerplate by hand, then scrolling around to find where it landed.

Chris skips both. Visual Assist writes the empty stubs for him using Implement Methods (Shift+Alt+Q), then Go To Implementation (Alt+G) warps you straight to the implementation. Skip manual combing through engine source.

Small thing on its own, but over a full day in a codebase this big, it's a lot of the game you get back.

▶ Try it free — 30-day trial, no credit card: https://tinyurl.com/download-VA

07/23/2026

Tackling a large C++ codebase? Discover practical tips to help you locate the code you need and build confidence as you learn the project. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/3brarxku

How to find your way around a huge or legacy Cproject in Visual Studio: the six navigation tasks, what to do when code won't compile, and a first-day playbook.

07/17/2026

AI is powerful. But reliable code intelligence still matters.

See how Visual Assist combines deterministic C++ parsing with AI-powered assistance to help you navigate, refactor, and code with confidence. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/yepz4m7p

AI assistants help with prototyping and boilerplate but degrade on large C++ codebases. The data, the C++-specific causes, and how to split the work.