D-

[Paulo Pinto]

Am 11.02.2012 18:00, schrieb bcs:
> On 02/11/2012 12:58 AM, Paulo Pinto wrote:
>> Am 10.02.2012 20:02, schrieb Tim Krimm:
>>> We have C and C++
>>>
>>> How about D- and D?
>>>
>>> D- would be the have a similar use as today's C compilers.
>>>
>>> ===========================
>>> Why create this language?
>>> ===========================
>>>
>>> Well I would love to have a D compiler that supports microcontrollers.
>>> The ones that have say 32 K of RAM and 64K of FLASH.
>>> A language that is targeted for embedded and/or low resource
>>> environments.
>>> It would be nice to have a modern language for low resource
>>> environments.
>>>
>>> A potential way to implement this language is to use the DMD frontend,
>>> then flag the unsupported features of D,
>>> Next create a backend, like "C front" that outputs C code instead of
>>> assembler.
>>>
>>>
>>> ===========================
>>> What do I envision with D-,
>>> D-- or Dm or what ever you want to call it.
>>> ===========================
>>>
>>> This language would basically be D without the garbage collection.
>>> For example there would be structures but no classes.
>>> There would be regular arrays but no dynamic arrays.
>>> Code that is mostly equivalent to C, but you would still have structures
>>> with functions and overloading support,
>>> and other features like templates etc.
>>>
>>> I think you get the idea.
>>>
>>> What are your thoughts?
>>
>>
>> I don't see the point.
>>
>> C++ was the last systems programming language without GC getting market
>> share. I seriously doubt any new systems programming language without GC
>> will ever suceed.
>>
>> Specially since systems programming in MacOS X and Windows world is
>
> Systems programming in the MacOS X and Windows world isn't real systems
> programming. The closest you get is kernel and driver work but even
> there you have most of an OS to work with. I think the kind of systems
> programming being considered is embedded work and/or things like BIOS work.


Systems programming is everything you need to get an OS up and running. 
At least it was so a few decades back when I attended computer science 
and informatics engineering course.

Regarding embedded and BIOS work, many systems being used today still 
required a custom C compiler without full ANSI C support, so how would
such systems support a D- implementation?

--
Paulo