D vs Java as a first programming language

[Nicolas Sicard]

Hi,

I am new to D, and I think I have discovered a programming language 
close to my ideal one...

On the web site, it is said: "Who D is Not For [...] As a first 
programming language - [...] Java is more suitable for beginners.".
Is this based on experience?

I am a teacher in a field where my students don't know what a 
programming language is! I need a language for a first approach of 
programming. I would say that Pascal, or BASIC even if a bit outdated, 
or even D would fit, but not Java.

I can imagine my first lesson with Java:

     public class HelloWorld {
         public static void main(String[] args) {
             System.out.print("Hello world!");
         }
     }

I would have to explain what a class is. What a method is. What a public 
or private visibility means. What a static method is. What the dots in 
"System.out.print" mean... :) Then how to compile it. Why you can't run 
it without a virtual machine. A virtual what?

It seems the main argument why Java is a good first language is that it 
lacks complexity (namely C++ complexity). I think it also lacks 
simplicity for absolute beginners. D can be both simple and complex, and 
it shares other features with Java that could make it a language for 
beginners: object-oriented, no pointers necessary, garbage collection, 
strict type checking, portable...

What feature would make D a worse choice than Java for a first language?

Nicolas