The Problem With DIPs

[Pie? via Digitalmars-d]

On Wednesday, 8 June 2016 at 19:59:27 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
> On 6/7/2016 1:32 PM, Jack Stouffer wrote:
>> a lousy 28% of DIPs are either definitively closed or accepted.
>
> There are currently 34 issues on it, where we implemented a 
> feature and inadvertently broke something. There are constant 
> complaints on the forum that we have not "fully" implemented 
> things.


How about everyone stop working on "new features" and try to make 
D solid? Surely you realize the downside to starting a new 
project in the midst of a current one?  It's very easy to start 
something new, it's enticing in fact... But the the previous 
project(s) always suffer.

D doesn't need any more fancy new features. It needs to be made 
rock solid and made to be used. My biggest frustration with D is 
not the language or the compiler but the tools and 
regressions(that come from starting new "projects").

If one keeps piling stuff on top of stuff eventually the weight 
of it all creates such a pressure that it turns it into crap(or 
diamonds, but that usually takes millions of years ;)

I use Visual D, for example, and it's the most barbaric way to 
debug(ok, better than gbd and the other stuff you guys tend to 
use because you won't get out of the dark ages). I have to wade 
through useless information to find what I want. OTH, .NET 
debugging is a walk in the park... I can even write my own 
visualizers if I want too. I'm spoiled, I've seen the light. 
Forgive me! What's happening is that the "rest of the world" has 
great tool sets. D has great language capabilities.  D is ahead 
in that respect but is behind in the other.

Remember, most of the programmers out there are not you and they 
just want things to work so they can do their hello world apps or 
make a virus or fart app.  They need things to work, work well, 
and look nice and inviting. If you can't get these people you are 
catering only to the upper echelon of the programmers in the 
world, most of which are too hard headed and old to switch to 
something new.

Target the kids and D will live long and prosper, target the old 
fogies and it will die a quick death.