How do you use D?

[bachmeier via Digitalmars-d]

On Friday, 28 July 2017 at 14:58:01 UTC, Ali wrote:

> How do you use D?

I'm an economics professor. A lot of my work requires simulations 
and other tasks for which a slow language just won't work. I need 
good integration with C and the ability to call my programs from 
other languages. D is a perfect fit. I write a lot of functions 
that coauthors can call from R.

I also use D for a lot of small (few dozen line) scripting tasks, 
for things like automating distribution of graded assignments to 
students and that sort of thing.

> in your side project, (github, links please)

I don't program for fun.

> just to learn something new? (I would easily argue that 
> learning D will make you a better C++ programmer, maybe not the 
> most efficient way, but I a sure it i very effective)

I came to D from Lisp and C, so I honestly don't do much I hadn't 
already been doing, and that's a good thing.

> Did you introduce D to your work place? How? What challenges 
> did you face?

Yes. There are no challenges when you are a researcher because 
you can do what you want. If I'm working with a grad student, 
they don't have much choice other than using what I use. Once you 
convince a researcher to use D, your work is done, because no 
external approval is needed. I also use some D functions inside R 
packages for my teaching. The same functionality is available in 
R, but it is many times slower, and the students will have to use 
D if they want the speed.

> What is you D setup at work, which compiler, which IDE?

I use Geany, DMD, and LDC.