Specifying C++ symbols in C++ namespaces

[David Gileadi]

On 4/3/14, 11:59 PM, Mason McGill wrote:
> "Walter Bright"  wrote in message news:lhi1lt$269h$1 at digitalmars.com...
>> Here's Andrei's proposal:
>>
>>     extern (C++) template nspace() {
>>         int foo();
>>     }
> This seems misleading to readers of future code.
> - An "extern (C++)" function lets you use a C++ function.
> - An "extern (C++)" interface lets you use a C++ interface (declared as
> a class, as is always the case in C++).
> - An "extern (C++)" template lets you use a C++... namespace?
>
> On Thursday, 3 April 2014 at 11:19:53 UTC, Daniel Murphy wrote:
>> Why not just
>>
>> pragma(cpp_namespace, "outer")
>> {
>>    pragma(cpp_namespace, "inner")
>>    {
>>        extern(C++) void func();
>>    }
>> }
> This really has only one obvious interpretation (the correct one), and
> seems to be a rather harmless addition to the language.
>
> It also fulfills the goal of allowing access to C++ libraries without
> cluttering D with C++ language features.  I don't want to have to
> explain to my students the difference between "modules" "D templates"
> and "C++ namespace templates" (it reminds me of old- and new-style
> classes in Python 2).

The above well describes my first reaction to the syntax (except the 
part about having students). And my second reaction too, in fact.