Hello Yigal,
John Reimer Wrote:
Hello Tim,
Yigal Chripun Wrote:
personally I don't see a point in JVM/.NET - One of the best things
about D is that you get the ease of use of Ruby/python/etc with the
benefits of native compiling like in c/c++. Why throw that away and
make yet another version of Java/C# ?
Supporting .net would give you access to the most modern and
probably best-currently-supported Windows API. It would, if you
counted Mono, add a very nice cross-platform UI framework. Finally,
depending on what version was supported, it might enable you to
write Silverlight apps in D, permitting flash-like apps that run
cross-functionally in a web browser.
TK
Agreed.
Concerning .NET and D technology, I say go for it... especially if
someone has the initiative to keep such a port going (afterall, such
initiative is really the most important virtue for any hope of
success). For myself, I'm kind of learning not to "restrain" D with
my personal biases. Sometimes we just can't predict what kind of
benefits might be in store for the language, the platform, or other
people; such expiditionary moves might not be successful in
themselves, but they could be the critical factor that brings D to
the limelight in some future endeavor.
D may be successful in areas we don't necessarily predict or prefer,
and .NET is just one of several interesting possibilities to explore.
Therefore, I don't think we should get too tunnel-visioned about "D
is better because it's a compiled language". It may be important to
keep the vision a little more open to other technologies (like VM's
and such) especially as optimizations improve in these areas.
Otherwise, D will be at risk of loosing it's general purpose
nature... and being permanently fixated as a niche language. Porting
to .NET, therefore, becomes a clever way of "proving" D's viability
on other technology platfroms.
I haven't used C#, but I can bet that D could offer a very
competitive and comfortable programming environment such that it
would be a welcome alternative even in the .NET world. Microsoft may
even come to see the benefits, since D might attract an even more
diverse audience to the platform, people who would have otherwise
avoided it. You never know. ;)
That'd probably be all it would take for me to start experimenting
with .NET and Mono.
-JJR
You make a valid point. Attracting new developers to D by supporting
more platforms is a worthy long-term goal for the D language.
however, I have a 64 bit PC and since Walter is only one person with
limited time, I'd personally want that Walter spend his time in the
short term on adding support for 64 bit, not working on a .net port. I
can live with C# on .net for now and as I said before it's close
enough to a D.net.
On the native compiled front I really wouldn't want to go back to C++
after using D.
so answering Walter's original question:
for me .net port is VERY low priority compared to 64 bit support which
is a HIGH priority.
Yep, I understand your point as valid also when it comes to prioritizing
which platform most needs to be worked on. That's why the completion of
.NET support would probably have to be done by another... which may be the
case already.
-JJR
