Why is D unpopular?

[H. S. Teoh]

On Fri, Jun 10, 2022 at 08:59:38PM +0000, mw via Digitalmars-d wrote:
[...]
> Just curious: how DMD is becoming self hosted in D? it started from
> scratch, or being translated from the old C++ implementation? where
> this old mess baggage coming from?

DMD was originally written in C++.  There was a period of transition
when the code was being auto-transliterated to D with increasing
coverage until the result could be compiled. Then when it started
passing the test suite, the official repo switched to the D version and
dropped the C++ code.

The auto translation, of course, was the absolute minimum needed to get
C++-style code to compile as D code.  Since that time, there has been a
good amount of refactorings to take advantage of D's features, but a
good chunk still remains more-or-less the same as in the C++ days
(except with C++ syntax translated to D).  From time to time Walter
would refactor bits of this code, taking advantage of D features to make
it better, but there's a LONG way to go before it could be considered
anywhere close to idiomatic D.


[...]
> D is supposed to be a better OO language (read: encapsulation,
> separation of concerns), and DMD is developed by a number of highly
> capable very experienced D developers (read: not ordinary
> programmers), how come DMD is in such a terrible state as if it's done
> by some average Joel (above)?
> 
> No offense, I am just puzzled by this software engineering myth.

The answer is very simple: historical baggage. It happens to every
project that's been around for more than just a few years.


T

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