scope keyword - a maintenance nightmare?

[Bill Baxter]

Guenther Brunthaler wrote:
> Deewiant Wrote:
> 
>> http://www.digitalmars.com/d/dcompiler.html#interface_files
>>
>> Unfortunately, this only separates interface descriptions from object code. What
> 
> Thank you for pointing that out!
> 
> It's a new feature too which I did not know about yet. It certainly wasn't there when I evaluated the language the first time.
> 
> Sounds pretty useful. Seems to be more or less what I wanted.
> 
> However, there is one thing left in the linked web page above like which I still find rather disturbing:
> 
>> But they are not required in the way that C++ header files are, and they are
>> not part of the D language. They are a feature of the compiler, and serve
>> only as an optimization of the build process.
> 
> If they are not part of the language, then one is at the mercy of a compiler to provide them! And in fact, every compiler could do it its own way, using a different layout or even a different syntax if it wants to.
> 
> It therefore seems more like the "precompiled header files" feature of some C/C++ compilers to me: While clearly useful, not all compilers do support it, and precompiled header files are typically not compatible between the different vendor's implementations.
> 
> So let's hope .di files actually become part of the D language standard in a future revision of the language!


Whoa, I hadn't noticed that.  Yes I agree.  While I'm a big fan of open 
source, support for hiding implementation is still a very real 
requirement in the many corners of the corporate world.

--bb