stability

[Walter Bright]

Denton Cockburn wrote:
> On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 21:46:19 -0800, Walter Bright wrote:
> 
>> All useful compilers are full of bugs. For example, gcc has 4265 
>> unresolved bugs.
>>
>> http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/buglist.cgi?query_format=specific&order=relevance+desc&bug_status=__open__&product=gcc&content=
> 
> Ouch.  Touche.

One way to look at the bug count is as a measure of how many people are 
using the product. Only a handful of bugs correlates to nobody using it. 
The rising bug count in D is not the result of increasing instability, 
but of increased usage of it and more sophisticated use.

D also has a steadily more comprehensive test suite, as a direct result 
of fixing bugs. This test suite makes possible the ratcheting forward of 
the stability of the compiler, as it ensures all the previous issues 
stay fixed.

The one I have for DM C++ has 25 years of bug reports merged in, and is 
an asset rivaling in value the C++ compiler itself.