D, Java? To D or not to D?

[TPJ]

I decided to start with a simple statement: with this post I don't intend to
start any flamewar. I'm definitely not a Java zealot, OS zealot, I'm not a
zealot at all. I'm just a programmer who seeks for future technologies today.
I'm doing it because I find investing in future technologies today very
profitable. Of course only in case of really good technologies...

I'm a freelancer programmer. I work under a GNU/Linux box and I'm interested
in development of portable desktop apps (*nices, Windows, MacOSX, perhaps
other OSes in the future) and games (the same OSes, plus mobile phones).

A few years ago I switched from C/C++ to Python. The reason was simple: I was
fed up with low-level development in C/C++, and I was impressed by high-level
development in Python. All I did in C/C++ could be done in Python with one
significant difference: code was written much, much faster.

Now, after several years of using Python, I decided to switch from Python to
Java. The reason is simple. Sometimes Python is too slow for my needs. Of
course, I can use C in those cases. But using C means using another language
and development becomes more complicated. In fact, I started to use Pyrex as
well... Three different tools, no documentation standard for all of them...
The hell.

Why Java? Because of many reasons:

a) Java programs are run by JVM. IMO it's a big advantage: the only thing I
have to do is to "compile" my app on my development box, and then I can ship
it without any changes for any OS with JVM.

b) I can write everything in Java. No need to use other languages and various
tools. It means easier development.

c) Static typing. No more dynamic typing hell known from Python. (Dynamic
typing is great in small scripts, but it becomes error-prone in more complex
projects. At least in my own case.)

d) Java programs run fast enough. Take a look at
http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/gp4sandbox/benchmark.php?test=all&lang=all
D got 67.6, and Java got 44.0. From MPOV this difference is not important. The
difference between Java (44.0) and Python (10.1) is much more significant.
67.6 / 44.0 = 1.54
44.0 / 10.1 = 4.36
67.6 / 10.1 = 6.69

e) Java is very popular. It makes Java programs easier to port. I intend to
write desktop apps for *nices, Windows and MacOSX systems, as well as some
games (2D only!!!) for those systems and mobile devices. In my opinion Java is
a good choice.

f) I don't care about memory. I can run Eclipse on my old Celeron 800 MHz +
256 MB RAM machine, and it just works.

g) There are great IDEs for Java. I use Eclipse, but NetBeans is also said to
be a good one.


And now I have found D. What can I say about it?

Disadvantages:

1) In order to run a program written in D I have to compile it on the target OS.

2) D might be perceived as an alternative to Java or C# (I don't count C/C++).
But it is really the case? Java was born in 1995, today it's a very known
language. C# was born in 1999, today it's popularity is still rising. And D?
Mars was born in 1988, D in 1999. How many people have heard about D? In
comparison, say, to C#? How many apps and libraries are written in Java, in
C#, and in D?

3) There is no D for mobile phones (AFAIK).

Advantages:

1) It's said to be faster than Java. But is it really an advantage? I find
Java fast enough for my needs, so why should I bother myself with D?

2) From FAQ: Since D can call C functions, any GUI library with a C interface
is accessible from D.
Does it mean that I can access *any* C library from D? If so, it a great feature!


So I ask myself a question today: should I invest in learning D? Is it worth
my efforts?

To be honest, I still think that C# has better future than D.

Why I ask all those questions, you may ask. Well - the truth is that:
1) I know Java.
2) I don't know C#.
3) I don't know D.
4) I might be wrong.

Therefore I post this message here. I'd like to know what you (the people who
know D) say about it.