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Why I use the D programming language for scripting (opensource.com)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've never used D but this really makes me want to give it a shot. Did anyone try it, and would you recommend using it?

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I like the idea of the D programming language but I think I'll never use it:

There were issues with multiple compilers in the past and I don't know if it's solved.
I can do the same in Python.
No companies I know use it, which means it would not be useful for me. I'm mostly looking for C++20 or Rust jobs, I wouldn't know where to find D jobs.
D was supposed to be an alternative to Java or C++, but those languages have moved fast in the past few years. C++ is easier than ever and still very powerful, Rust exists if I want safety and low-level simplicity, Kotlin is there and it's fast too. I don't know where D fits nowadays and which problem it's trying to solve.

The language looks nice, but it feels like it's in a weird position around all the other languages.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

DMD is the reference implementation as far as I know, so I don't think they have the same issue that C and C++ have with regards to needing to have a standard that pleases everyone. I agree that it has an issue positioning itself relative to other languages, but to me D is the good kind of boring. It has most of what you need, there is very little that is surprising in it, if you find yourself needing to do something, probably D has an easy-ish way of doing it.

[–] orangeboats 2 points 1 year ago

I don't know where D fits nowadays and which problem it's trying to solve.

My experience has been similar - it's hard to categorize the language.

As a low-level system language like C, C++, Rust, Zig? The garbage collector makes it a hard sell to other people, even though one can opt out of it.

As a higher-level application language like Java and Go? D frequently gives me a "low-level language" feel, but I am not sure why.

As a scripting language? I feel like its type system works against the rapid-prototyping coding style commonly seen in scripts.