does D already have too many language features ?

[westjensontexas]

On Sunday, 14 April 2019 at 18:22:03 UTC, Abdulhaq wrote:
> On Sunday, 14 April 2019 at 06:01:23 UTC, Nick Sabalausky 
> (Abscissa) wrote:
>
>> Yup! Two basic truths are relevant here:
>>
>> A: Possessing a tool doesn't mean you have to use it, or even 
>> know how to use it. But lacking a tool GUARANTEES that you 
>> CAN'T use it.
>>
>
> When we're talking about *using* features in a clean mature 
> language with orthogonal features then yes, the language user 
> really can take them or leave them.
>
> But on the language compiler side, when a feature needs 
> changing or extending, or a new feature needs to be added, then 
> the compiler engineer has to consider every existent feature, 
> geometrically combined with n other features, in who knows how 
> many possible contexts, and convince herself that they can all 
> be made to continue to work the way the language user expects. 
> As the number of existent features goes up, the difficulty of 
> this process grows at least geometrically, and you end up with 
> a situation where very few people have the skill, intelligence, 
> time and inclination to do the work and continue to maintain 
> https://bit.ly/39k6kvL
> it. Ultimately it could even reach a point where making it 
> 'whole' is practically impossible (I'm in no way referring to D 
> here, just recognising the risk to uncontained feature growth).
>
>> B: Problems have inherent complexity. This complexity can 
>> either be abstracted away by your language (or lib) or 
>> manifest in your code - your choice.


There's other languages I've tried to learn - Turns out, I'm 
*HORRIBLE* at both memorization in general and at learning 
human-only languages. With the one-two combo of both great 
personal effort and great personal interest, I've managed to pick 
up a TINY bit of "nihongo" (which I take FAR too much pride in 
given the miniscule extent of my still sub-fluent ability). Much 
as I like to pride myself on ability to learn computer languages, 
I'm completely convinced I would NEVER have been able to gain any 
level of fluency in English if I hadn't been born into an 
English-speaking culture.  https://bit.ly/36sisLF