No header files?

[AJ]

"Bill Baxter" <wbaxter at gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:mailman.225.1256170012.20261.digitalmars-d at puremagic.com...
> On Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 4:56 PM, AJ <aj at nospam.net> wrote:
>>
>> "Jason House" <jason.james.house at gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:hbo2ih$2oii$1 at digitalmars.com...
>>> AJ Wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Steven Schveighoffer" <schveiguy at yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:op.u157hfkveav7ka at localhost.localdomain...
>>>> > On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:59:52 -0400, AJ <aj at nospam.net> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >> Since D has no header files, how does one create "a library" that
>>>> >> another
>>>> >> developer can use without exposing the implementation?
>>>> >
>>>> > try dmd -H.
>>>> >
>>>> > .di files are D header files, basically used for the reason you
>>>> > specify.
>>>>
>>>> OK, so header files can be generated. The thing is though, when I am
>>>> designing at the code level, I start with the declarations (such as 
>>>> class
>>>> data members and methods) and do the implementation (or one can hand it
>>>> off
>>>> to someone else) afterwards. That serves as the "blue print" for 
>>>> further
>>>> development and remains as first level of documentation as well. 
>>>> Working
>>>> with just "implementation files" seems to be putting the cart before 
>>>> the
>>>> horse. While eliminating something unnecessary is something to strive
>>>> for, I
>>>> don't think header files are unnecessary in the development process
>>>> (i.e., I
>>>> don't think that relegating them to just the situation given with my OP
>>>> is
>>>> good, exactly for the reasons of usefullness I gave).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> I think you keep a very structured development style that few share.
>>> Nothing stops you from writing a header-file-like .d file and then hand 
>>> it
>>> off for someone to fill in the methods, etc...
>>
>> Would I have to use a dmd-generated one to distribute to users of my 
>> library
>> though? Are generated .di files something different or more than what I'd
>> write in a C/C++ .h?
>
> The generated ones lack indentation and comments.
> They're not really intended for human consumption, according to Walter.

OK, then they don't fulfill my requirements of "header files". Not to worry 
though, I just won't use that style of programming with D if I use it.

>
> So if you want to ship headers as a form of documentation for your
> library, you may want to find another way.

Yes: do it the traditional way as in C/C++.

> This -json output feature recently added to DMD sounded like it might
> be a step in the right direction.  That should make it easier for 3rd
> parties to write a more flexible documentation generation tool.
>