null references redux + Looney Tunes

language_fan foo at bar.com.invalid
Fri Oct 2 10:57:57 PDT 2009


Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:38:33 -0500, Andrei Alexandrescu thusly wrote:

> I'll note two things. For one, Walter is a heck more progressive than
> his pedigree might lead one to think. He has taken quite some risks with
> a number of features that made definite steps outside the mainstream,
> and I feel he bet on the right horse more often than not. Second, this
> particular discussion is not about efficiency.

I apologize that I said it in a way that might hurt Walter. I know he is 
extremely talented programmer and also open for new ideas. That is often 
not the problem. But it is not that hard to find features in D that are 
there only to make old C++ users feel comfortable. E.g. C style pointer 
syntax is harmful for the syntax of new features like tuples. It is also 
really confusing, but somehow has to be there since D "must" feel like C+
+, otherwise someone would notice that D is actually a modern multi-
paradigm language that allows even functional programming, which is a bit 
bad for the reputation in conservative c++ circles.

Some people would not even touch the language with a 10 foot pole, if 
someone dared to provide a practical garbage collector library for it. 
Because that would mean that there are people with wrong opinions (tm) in 
the community. I know there is a old and stubborn language war between 
academic foofoo and "practical aspects".



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