C-Style declarations, are they here to stay?!! Walter?

[Lars Ivar Igesund]

Carlos Santander wrote:

> Hasan Aljudy escribió:
>> << I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I don't remember
>> seeing any discussion about it. If it has been, please direct me to one
>> of the old threads that discussed it. >>
>> 
>> I noticed that D supports the klumsy C-Style declarations, like
>> 
>> int (*x[5])[3];       // x is an array of 5 pointers to arrays of 3 ints
>> 
>> I hate them!
>> To be honest, I never understood them; never tried to. This example is
>> taken from the docs, and I really don't understand how does it make x an
>> array of 5 pointers to arrays of 3 ints!!
>> 
>> D has nicer syntax,
>> int[3]*[5] x;    // x is an array of 5 pointers to arrays of 3 ints
>> 
>> I can't say I understand how it works, but when I read the description,
>> is makes a lot of sense. It reads right to left:
>> [5]    array of size 5
>> *      pointer(s)
>> [3]    array of size 3
>> int    int(s)
>> 
>> array of 5 pointers to array of 3 ints!
>> 
>> The only reason I don't understand it right away is because I don't like
>> nested complex declarations like this anyway, so I never tried to learn
>> how to declare them. However, the D syntax makes alot of sense.
>> 
>> Consider for example this C-Style declaration:
>> int (*x)(char);
>> 
>> VS this D-Style declaration:
>> int function(char) x;
>> 
>> Why does D support int (*x)(char); anyway?!
>> 
>> Since D has a more intelligent way of declaring the same things, the
>> C-Style syntax is unnecessarily redundant IMHO.
>> 
>> My understanding is that it's supported to attract the C/C++ people and
>> get them familiarized with D quickly.
>> 
>> But, does this mean that C-Style declarations are gonna stay with D
>> forever?
>> 
>> I personally would like to see them gone. but that's not for me to
>> decide.
>> 
>> I mean, isn't the C-Style declaration syntax considered to be a design
>> flaw in the original C? If so, does D really need to carry it out in
>> order to attract C/C++ people?
>> That seems to be (to me) totally against the philosophy of D.
>> 
>> So Walter, I would like to please hear your opinion/decision about
>> C-Style declarations; are they here to stay? or will they be deprecated
>> at some point?
>> 
> 
> Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing today, but I decided not to
> write about it because I understand they're there to ease porting.
> 
> However, I think they should go, and as others think the same way, how
> about a plan to kiss them good bye? What if it was clearly stated in the D
> docs something like "C style declarations will be deprecated in 2.0 and
> completely gone in 3.0"?
> 

No reason to keep them around that long, IMHO. :)