Let the D compiler print the dependencies.

[Georg Wrede]

Frank Benoit (keinfarbton) wrote:
> While thinking about build tools and IDE integration, why not let the D
> compiler have a switch to print the dependencies?
> 
> # dmd t.d -c -deps
> depends: std.string
> 
> This has the advantage, that if there is a change in the rules how
> version/debug/static-if are evaluated, the build tool does not need to
> know about them. The build tool can use different compilers and compiler
> versions and can ask the compiler for the list of dependencies for a
> given module.
> 
> -deps
> Prints the dependencies, each in one line, starting with "depends: ".
> -deps=filename
> Prints the dependencies into the given file, each in one line without
> additional text.
> 
> Does this make sense?
> What do you think?

Absolutely!

The compiler should be the only thing that needs to know the 
dependencies, and the other tools should ask it.