Things have a little bit evolved since the last time I checked the D programming language web site. An updated pdf version of the D language specification is available and the poseidon IDE is catching momentum.

There are some other nice features I forgot to mention in the previous note. Here is a short list:

   - static asserts and if evaluated at compile time
   - mixins of code and templates
   - contract programming (pre and post conditions)
   - version and debug keywords for conditional compilation
   - scopes

There are probably more gems in there, but these are a good start to catch the added value of D compared to other programming languages. Note that D is not an academic research product. It has been created by compiler writers that capitalized their experience in designing a new and better language.

DIS prototype is currently developped in C++ with Microsoft's Visual Studio C++ IDE. This is because it is a very reliable IDE and has the best debugger I know and at this stage of development debugging plays an important role.

I could have used Java, with Eclipse as IDE, which is as good, and even better on some aspects; an impressive master piece of IBM. But I first need a library for compiled code to be used on servers. I also have the impression that it is easier to translate C++ code into Java than the opposite. C# is on my list, but I need an OS independent language and totally free to use. As far as I know it is currently not the case.

So, the D programming language is very close to the top of my list. This language has very attractive features and I foresee a brilliant future to it. But, as Java in its very early days, D is laking a good IDE with accurate debugging support. The other weakness is its documentation, but this shouldn't last long.

It has all the features one would expect from a modern programming language and I have just learned about the scope keyword and its purpose. This is great. Read this article for a clear and detailed explanation on its purpose and usage.

Another interesting feature is its support of the SWT library called DWT. It makes it easy to implement a portable GUI application. You can also very easily use your pet C library with D. The reverse should be possible but it is not clear yet how to do this. It would be interesting for people developping libraries in D and keep them usable with C or C++. Something I would need.