MiniD 2 - Might as well be done

[Robert Fraser]

Jarrett Billingsley wrote:
> I'm bad at meeting deadlines.  Partly because I mismanage my time, but
> a large part of it is also because being a perfectionist, I never know
> when to _stop working on something_.  After nearly two years in
> development, I think I'm ready to call MiniD 2 "gold."
> 
> http://www.dsource.org/projects/minid
> 
> I write lots of docs.  Please read them.
> 
> = Oh wow, an interpreted version of D! =
> 
> NO!  That was the aim _three years ago_ but by now it's a completely
> different language.  Please read the docs before you form your
> opinions on what it is :)
> 
> = What's changed since MiniD 1? =
> 
> Lots.  It's enough to say that it's practically a different language.
> To be honest, I don't even consider MiniD 1 - either the language or
> the implementation thereof - anything more than a crude, unfinished
> work.  MiniD 2 is what I consider to be the first _actual_
> language/implementation.
> 
> The MiniD 2 reference implementation is far more mature, complete, and
> efficient than its predecessor.  It has been reimplemented pretty much
> from scratch and now features its own heap and GC separate from D's.
> While this does incur a bit of a hit on the terseness of the native
> API, it also manifests itself in a frankly _incredible_ increase in
> performance, as well as features that would have been difficult or
> impossible to implement using the native GC (like weak references and
> class finalizers).
> 
> What kind of performance, you ask?  Well, almost every test I've run
> kicks the crap out of Python, and is more in the ballpark of Lua.  The
> only tests that don't quite measure up are those which are GC-heavy.
> The current implementation uses a simple mark-and-sweep GC, but that
> is one of my main development priorities after this release.  If I can
> reach Lua's performance - awesome!
> 
> The API is much more like Lua's now, though with some nice perks due
> to overloading that aren't possible in a C API.  Writing code for what
> is essentially a stack language is kind of nice, in some ways.  Being
> such a departure from what most people are used to, though, it can
> take some getting used to.
> 
> The API is also much more "there is one way to do it."  The old MiniD
> 1 - and early MiniD 2 - APIs sometimes had several, inconsistent
> methods of acquiring information.  This has been entirely done away
> with.  That being said, D's current protection mechanisms (and DMD's
> forward reference issues) are woefully inadequate for dividing up the
> API the way I want to, forcing almost all of the public API functions
> into a single module.  Sorry for that.
> 
> = I'm bearophile, and I don't think it performs as well as <X>, and
> isn't similar enough to Python. =
> 
> OK.  Give me some benchmarks, and I'll see what's taking so long.  As
> for the language style?  Tough luck ;)  I admit the standard library
> probably doesn't have as many lazy-evaluation functions and datatypes
> as it could, but that can certainly change.  I am open to suggestions!
> 
> = Why do I need it? =
> 
> I don't know!  Maybe you're just interested in learning new languages.
>  Maybe you've got a legitimate need for a scripting language in one of
> the D apps you're writing.  Whatever.  I can't tell you why you need
> it.  Only you know that.
> 
> For a high-level, pseudo-philosophical introduction to the language,
> see http://www.dsource.org/projects/minid/wiki/Introduction2
> 
> I recommend you read the spec and the language tutorial if you're
> wondering what the language is all about.  _Then_ can you tell me what
> you do and don't like.
> 
> = What prerequisites do I need, and how do I install it? =
> 
> D1 with Tango 0.99.8, currently.  That's about it, as far as the core
> language and its standard libraries are concerned.
> 
> Installation instructions are available here:
> http://www.dsource.org/projects/minid/wiki/Installation  I plan on
> putting some more detailed docs up especially w.r.t. feti's sandbox
> script, since I haven't been able to get some configurations to work.
> 
> If you're having trouble installing a D compiler or build tool or
> Tango, I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time or patience to help
> you install the prerequisites.  I have spent far too much time helping
> others install those and it's just.. well, it's not my fault that the
> D toolchain is currently so fractured and hard-to-use, and I've kind
> of lost the will to help anyone else.  Sorry :\
> 
> MiniD works fine with DMD and LDC.  GDC is too old to compile it.  Bug
> David Friedman or Arthur about that.  :|
> 
> = How do I <x>? =
> 
> Please ask me.  Here on the newsgroups is OK, but for more long-term
> conversations, *please* sign up for a dsource account and post your
> questions to the MiniD dsource forum
> (http://www.dsource.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=94).  If you don't have
> a dsource account already, why not? ;)  If you're one of those people
> who refuses to post on one of those "dirty, slow, inefficient" web
> forums, well, I guess you're not getting any help!  Or you could just
> email me, but by doing that, you'll be depriving anyone else from
> seeing your question and the resulting answer.  Your choice.
> 
> I love writing documentation, and if you find any part of it
> inadequate or confusing, *let me know*.  If there is a particular
> style of documentation you respond particularly well to, *let me
> know*.  I'm pretty responsive to communication, so if you've got
> questions, ideas, suggestions, comments, flames - WHATEVER - please
> let me know.
> 
> = You're drunk, aren't you? =
> 
> A little.
> 
> = What else? =
> 
> Nothing!  Really.  Except maybe if you're interested in 3D graphics,
> there _are_ SDL and OpenGL bindings for MiniD already.  <_<
> 
> = I want to help! =
> 
> Then submit a patch!  I have to admit, I'm a bit like Walter in that I
> might not accept your code unless I review it, know you personally to
> be a skilled developer, and/or believe that it is a worthwhile
> addition.  However, "unofficial" patches can be just as useful to
> others as core language features.  Development is fun!  Contribute!
> 
> = What are your plans for the future? =
> 
> Some performance improvements; a better GC would be nice.  Haven't
> done much GC research so I'd like to get into that.  Maybe a JIT
> compiler a little further off.  More addon libraries, definitely!
> 
> That's all.  I don't think I'll have any kind of versioning scheme
> save for the most important revisions.  Other than that, I think I'll
> just base the "versions" off of the SVN revision that they correspond
> to.  It's not like any other D library really has any kind of reliable
> release schedule :P
> 
> Any questions, just ask, please!

Awesome; thanks! How's its standard library file manipulation support 
and Windows registry handling? THis could be the perfect build scripting 
tool...