I've been programming consistently for 50 years, so I've seen lots of languages and used scores. Some were special purpose languages like the simulation language GPSS or the string manipulation language SNOBOL or the IBM system programming language, PL.8; others were general purpose like FORTRAN or Pascal.
I like D. It appears to be a well designed language, unfortunately, for me, it fits in an isolated place in the galaxy of all programming languages and I have limited time to dedicate to learning additional programming languages. I'd like to hear from HN readers that are using it and that have some experience with the more popular languages.
I use different languages for different reasons.
- Ease of learning: Go is easy while C++ is hard.
- Performance: C++ and C are great, Java is very good, Python not so good.
- Good for just getting things done: Python is great and is easier to read than bash scripts or Perl.
- Good for team projects: Go, code stays easy to understand, its easy to learn, and compiles fast.
- Teaches me something: Haskell, Prolog, Scheme
- Special purpose but necessary: HTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, Emacs Lisp, Swift
- Math/Stats: Python, Julia
- Has packages already written that do what I want: Python, Java
- The 1980's language of the future that still cool: Common Lisp
(I don't know all of these languages well anymore, in fact C++ has now gotten completely away from me with it's constant evolution.)
Should I make the investment in time to learn D? Would really learning Haskell well or would picking up Dart be a better use of my time? Maybe getting back into C++?
On my list of languages to try or use more are Dart, Swift, Rust, and Haskell. So, should I add D? Or should it be Elixir. There are just so many to pick from.
I like D. It appears to be a well designed language, unfortunately, for me, it fits in an isolated place in the galaxy of all programming languages and I have limited time to dedicate to learning additional programming languages. I'd like to hear from HN readers that are using it and that have some experience with the more popular languages.
I use different languages for different reasons.
- Ease of learning: Go is easy while C++ is hard.
- Performance: C++ and C are great, Java is very good, Python not so good.
- Good for just getting things done: Python is great and is easier to read than bash scripts or Perl.
- Good for team projects: Go, code stays easy to understand, its easy to learn, and compiles fast.
- Teaches me something: Haskell, Prolog, Scheme
- Special purpose but necessary: HTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, Emacs Lisp, Swift
- Math/Stats: Python, Julia
- Has packages already written that do what I want: Python, Java
- The 1980's language of the future that still cool: Common Lisp
(I don't know all of these languages well anymore, in fact C++ has now gotten completely away from me with it's constant evolution.)
Should I make the investment in time to learn D? Would really learning Haskell well or would picking up Dart be a better use of my time? Maybe getting back into C++?
On my list of languages to try or use more are Dart, Swift, Rust, and Haskell. So, should I add D? Or should it be Elixir. There are just so many to pick from.