Dscanner - DCD - Dfix ... Editor support or the lack of it.

[Basile B.]

On Thursday, 25 January 2018 at 15:20:15 UTC, Benny wrote:
> After months doing a different project, i need a programming 
> language for a new client with specific needs. D comes to mind. 
> As usual that involves downloading the compiler (dmd and ldc).
>
> So, lets install Visual Studio Code:
>
> * Code-D Plugin:
>   - Syntax highlight *check*
>   - After saving: DMD error suggestions in the code. *check*
>   - Limited name suggestion ( VSC functionality not the plugin 
> ) only by forcing VSC (ctrl+space).
>   - ... and nothing else...
>
>
> So lets try the next plugin:
>
>
> * Serve-D Plugin:
>   - Syntax highlight *check*
>   - After saving: DMD error suggestions in the code. *check*
>   - Limited name suggestion ( VSC functionality not the plugin 
> ) only by forcing VSC (ctrl+space).
>   - ... and nothing else...
>
>
> Frustration level increasing. Lets try the next one:
>
>
> * D-Language Plugin:
>   - Syntax highlight *check*
>   - Limited name suggestion ( VSC functionality not the plugin 
> ) only by forcing VSC (ctrl+space).
>   - ... and nothing else...
>
>
> Ok ... so Visual Studio Code its Dscanner, DCD, Workspace-d do 
> not properly work or some other issue.
>
>
> Then lets try IntelliJ Community Edition. After a long time 
> getting all the dependancies and compiling them... Dscanner - 
> DCD ( client and server ) - Dfix ...
>
>
> * D Language Plugin:
>   - Syntax highlight *check*
>   - Way too many items like writefln, import etc all being 
> marked as unknown. Clearly wrong.
>   - ... and nothing else...
>   - Socket error (std.socket.xxx) on closing IntelliJ
>
>
> Conclusion is that it feels like the whole D infrastructure is 
> very, very poorly supported.
>
> Other issues like delays that some of the D plugins seem to 
> introduce:
>
> * Like "loading ..." popups that do nothing but always show up 
> ( Visual Studio Code )
> * Like pressing "dot" expecting a response, waiting 2 seconds 
> and then finally something happening ( IntelliJ plugin ) but 
> simply dumping every possible name and variable ( zero 
> intelligent code support )
>
> I assume that this is again broken DCD or Dscanner.
>
> And no, no errors in the console of VSC or anything like that.
>
> Let me summarize my personal D editor experience in the last 1+ 
> year.
>
> * Attempts at getting D editor support going: 6 or 7.
> * Amount of times things worked out of the box. One! And this 
> was limited to about a few minutes and after that all 
> suggestions broke again.
> * Amount of times dscanner or dcd or other plugins broke 
> because of DMD newest version broke: 4
> * Tested on different machines: 4! They all have one thing in 
> common: Windows 10
> * Tested on different Windows installations: 3
> * Tested on different "version" of Windows 10: 3
> * Amount of times complaining to the plugin authors: Too many 
> to count.
> * Time spend on these tests / issues: Easily 50 hours or more.
> * Frustration level: Again, like each time before EXTREME!
>
> Please do not give me the company line that i need to report 
> issues. I did so many times. It is tiring playing guinea pig, 
> complaining and reporting, waiting for things to get fixed and 
> still seeing things break again or simply not working properly.
>
>
> I can download Go, C#, C, C++, Delphi, Rust and get proper 
> working plugins for the above mentioned editors but D is always 
> that frustrating problem child. And i can not blame the plugin 
> authors because the issues always seem to stem from the D 
> plugins ( dcd, dscanner, ... ).
>
> Like dscanner changing its binary location between builds from 
> folder root to /bin folder, breaking the plugin authors there 
> system as it expected it in the folder root.
>
> Maybe things work great in a few very specific editor but in my 
> personal experience, D its editor support is non stop 
> frustrating. And i suspect that this complaint is not new.
>
> Clearly there is infrastructure in place for automated testing 
> the compiler but it feels like there is a total lack of 
> infrastructure for everything that surround it. Beyond maybe a 
> few editors that the core team uses?
>
> My personal opinion: Too much in the D landscape is so 
> individualist and not properly cross platform tested, that it 
> results in pure frustration for the end developer.

You know you're not the first coming with this topic. I've 
developped a theory. You guys are looking for excuses to not get 
into D. If IDE were okay you would find something else.

Did you know for example that with a decent D IDE you can press 
"F1" and get directly the html help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ncf6n4yniI&list=PLzk8A0LUvEOV-OMdz09jfOahwnKoA2na_&index=1

?