What could C/C++ “lose” if they defined a standard ABI?

Question

The title says everything. I am talking about C/C++ specifically, because both consider this as \"implementation issue\". I think, defining a standard interface can ease bui

Answer 1

C always had a standard ABI, which is even the one used for any most standard ABI (I mean, the C ABI is the ABI of choice, when different languages or systems has to bind to each others). The C ABI is kind of common ABI of others ABIs. C++ is more complex although extending and thus based on C, and indeed, a standard ABI for C++ is more challenging and may present issues to the freedom a C++ compiler have for its own implementation of the target machine code. However, it seems to actually have a standard ABI; see Itanium C++ ABI.

So the question may not be that much “what could they loose?”, but rather “what do they loose?” (if ever they really loose something).

Side note: needed to keep in mind ABIs are always architecture and OS dependant. So if what was meant by “Standard ABI” is “standard across architectures and platforms”, then there may never has been or be such thing, but communication protocols.