killer App for D? (was: State of D on iOS/Android)

[J Arrizza]

On Sun, Jan 29, 2012 at 4:26 PM, J Arrizza <cppgent0 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> So another, better, question: Do you -- we -- want to make D a popular
> language or not?
>
> If not, that implies one set of development and architectural strategies.
>  If yes, it implies another set. The two sets have some but little
> intersection. And that means you have to choose the end goal you want now
> and, once chosen, you have to stick to it.
>
>
No response to this?

I currently have an embedded Java application running on an ARM. I am
looking for a replacement language and  associated libraries, specifically
a GUI. I need the user responsiveness to be fast and I need to have a few
extra cycles free to eventually do some graphing, all on
an under-powered processor.

I chose Java for this device because I didn't want to divert my developers
re-inventing the wheel or playing the "match the library versions" game.
The JDK is big and it's clean. It is self-consistent. Java is a
simple language, there is no struggling with odd obscure error messages or
compiler errors. There is a huge breadth and depth of community support.

For the current device, using Java has paid off hugely. It's easy to
develop in, it was easy to set up and the developers have been able to
concentrate on the application (the thing we get paid to write and
deliver). If we need some utility or functionality, chances are it's
already been written and debugged over many years and by millions of people.

The down side is Java is slow. That's why I'm looking at D. I need a fast,
efficient language that is strongly OO and has a gc. There must be GUI
support that does not use X (and 3 or 4 other layers) on an ARM processor
running embedded linux. It has to cross-compile because we simulate the
device and debug on our workstations. D looks like a custom fit for this
situation!

On the other hand D is facing a catch-22. It can't get a full suite of
support code, IDEs, etc until its popular and it won't get popular until it
gets all of that ready to go up-front. The only solution is to leap-frog
using existing technology on an already popular platform.

The Android GUI libraries provide two things towards that end: a platform
for D to take off from and the beginnings of debugged GUI code. The
popularity of Android will pull D along with it, especially if D can find a
niche in the needs of those Android application developers who want speed.
As D's relevant libraries fill out, there will be less and less a need to
use Java and it will gradually take over as the predominant language for
serious apps on Android.

So... Will D and Android GUI libraries be able to replace Java in the next
two years? Is there a commitment or direction towards that end?

John
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