On Saturday, 4 March 2017 at 18:09:10 UTC, Anthony wrote:
To give context to my question, I don't have a problem with
GCs, and this question isn't stemming from a C++ background.
I've been told to learn C++ though, due to its efficiency and
power.
It feels like D is a better choice for me to learn than C++;
it's ostensibly C++ but with various amounts of baggage or
unfavorable quirks removed. But I'm wary to learn if one of the
major proponents for C++ usage, deterministic memory
management, isn't directly supported. I check back here every
few months or so, but now I just can't find anything new.
Having learned C++ before D, I would argue (others will disagree)
that even if your goal is to learn C++, you should start with D.
You want to learn certain concepts and ways of thinking. If you
start with C++, you have to spend your time learning the rough
edges of C++ and what not to do, and it really does interfere
with your learning. It's faster to learn D and then figure out
how to do the same thing in C++ than to battle with the
unpleasantness of C++ from the start. I regret all the hours I
wasted on C++.
It's not really accurate to say someone should avoid D because of
GC/memory management. You can call C++ from D, so while the
cost-benefit analysis might favor C++ in some cases, there's no
reason you can't write your program in D and then call into C++
when absolutely necessary. I do the same thing, except that I
call into C more than C++.
Just my 2 cents as someone that does numerical programming.
Ultimately, if you're looking at it from the perspective of the
job market, it really doesn't make sense to spend time on D. If
the goal is to learn, it doesn't make sense to spend time on C++.
