Template Metaprogramming Made Easy (Huh?)

[Justin Johansson]

Walter Bright Wrote:

> Justin Johansson wrote:
> > Lest this newsgroup slip into being just mutual appreciation society
> > forum, I'd suggest that the seasoned D gurus go forth and evangelize
> > the language by commenting back on that Reddit link. 
> > http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/9iidr/template_metaprogramming_made_easy_huh/
> 
> So do I, especially your comments!!!

You're welcome, Walter, and whilst I tend to fear of being flamed in a public forum (I don't have a thick enough skin to be a politician), I tried to practice, and not just preach, by making my own contribution to the reddit discussion a short while ago.

Anyway since I'm a newcomer here it might help if I introduce myself so people know where I'm coming from.

Like yourself, I have a formal engineering degree.  Read in your bio that you originally did mechanical eng whereas I did electrical eng and with love of maths and physics.  Like you I went from engineering to exclusively software.  That being circa 1982, I'm from the older crowd.  (Surprise .. read your comment somewhere that D tends to appeal to the younger crowd.)  Have degree in computer science as well .. back when Fortran was on the Control Data 6400 menu .. shortly before birth of Vax and Wirth producing that pedagogical language, Pascal.

Got into software via electronics and microprocessors - 8085, SCAMP (first 16-bit microprocessor based on Data General Nova minicomputer architecture), 6809 and later 68020 and Texas Instruments TMS32010 digital signal processor.  Developed multitasking executive for Z80 and 68020 for real-time scientific instrumentation in assembler and C.  Got into OO with Smalltalk and with birth of C++ compilers, notably Zortech C++.

After 15+ years in C++ world, 3-4 years ago was forced into a Java labour camp due to diminishing requirements for C++ skills in the local job market.

Always felt that somehow I missed out on the Baroque era of LISP and FP but looks like there's a Renaissance happening now with new languages like Clojure and Scala.  D looks like getting there too (FP-wise I mean, though agree with other writer on this thread that Scala is currently perhaps a little more FP-friendly).

However what's attracting me to D now is its pragmatism and it not being "governed by a corporate agenda or any overarching theory of programming" to quote the DM intro page.  For me D represents an opportunity to reach back to my roots in bare metal systems programming in a modern setting.

For the moment though, for stability and license reasons, I've decided to stick with DMD 1.0 and Phobos for a new project that I'm working on.  Linux platform btw.

Cheers
Justin Johansson