I've downloaded the dmd d compiler for Win32 but I have a few questions about how to use the compiler, before I install it and try it out. How do you actually use this thing? Do you write text files then pass command line instructions to tell the compiler what text files to compile or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this? Also I've seen some IDEs listed on google for d, can you use in a way similar to say the .net IDE? For instance are all of them just text editors or can you compile it from the program and do any of them have debuggers with breakpoints ect..? If any of you guys could recomend one to try.

One other question. If I make a program using the dmd compiler does it have to be open source since part of the d compiler is under the gpl or would that just apply to people making other d compilers?

thanks in advance for your help,

Mike

ps I'm using windows xp

Hi, Mike, and welcome to the D community.

> I've downloaded the dmd d compiler for Win32 but I have a few questions about how to use the compiler, before I install it and try it out. How do you actually use this thing? Do you write text files then pass command line instructions to tell the compiler what text files to compile

Yes, see the documentation on the website.

> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this? Also I've seen some IDEs listed on google for d, can you use in a way similar to say the .net IDE? For instance are all of them just text editors or can you compile it from the program and do any of them have debuggers with breakpoints ect..? If any of you guys could recomend one to try.


All the D IDEs I know of use an external tool for compiling (actually, I think almost every IDE does, although it's more transparent in some than others). I'd recommend descent http://www.dsource.org/projects/descent , an eclipse plugun, but only because I'm working on it ;-P. Poseidon http://www.dsource.org/projects/poseidon seems to be a bit more popular. Both have debugger frontends, but you'll need to download a debugger separately, and configure the program to use it. There are a few other IDEs around (a lot of people use Code::Blocks), just do a search.

> One other question. If I make a program using the dmd compiler does it have to be open source since part of the d compiler is under the gpl or would that just apply to people making other d compilers?

No, that's only if you use the actual source code of DMD (so, yes, for making other compilers). I'm not even sure if it is GPL.

> thanks in advance for your help,
> 
> Mike
> 
> ps I'm using windows xp

Mike wrote:
> I've downloaded the dmd d compiler for Win32 but I have a few
> questions about how to use the compiler, before I install it and try
> it out. How do you actually use this thing? Do you write text files
> then pass command line instructions to tell the compiler what text
> files to compile 

Yes, this is right.

> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this?

There are a few IDEs which can use DMD. Here's a list of editors:
http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?EditorSupport

In terms of IDEs, I gather Code::Blocks and Eclipse (with Descent) have pretty good D support.

Personally, I just use vim in conjunction with rebuild (which is part of DSSS):
http://www.vim.org/
http://www.dsource.org/projects/dsss

> Also I've seen some IDEs listed on google for d, can you use in a way
> similar to say the .net IDE? For instance are all of them just text
> editors or can you compile it from the program and do any of them
> have debuggers with breakpoints ect..? If any of you guys could
> recomend one to try.
> 

See above. As for debuggers, the most up-to-date is probably ddbg:
http://ddbg.mainia.de/releases.html
Some IDEs (particularly Code::Blocks) can act as a front-end to ddbg. (ddbg has a gdb compatibility mode, and might work in any IDE which can use gdb.)

> One other question. If I make a program using the dmd compiler does
> it have to be open source since part of the d compiler is under the
> gpl or would that just apply to people making other d compilers?
> 

Using DMD does not imply anything at all about the programs you create with it. License issues only kick in if you create software derived from the DMD front-end. This might include another D compiler (viz. GDC) or other utilities which use parts of the front-end (viz. rebuild).

If I remember correctly, the DMD front-end is dual-licensed under both the GPL and the Artistic license.

-- 
Kirk McDonald
http://kirkmcdonald.blogspot.com
Pyd: Connecting D and Python
http://pyd.dsource.org

Thank you guys for your help.

Kirk McDonald wrote:
>> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this?
> 
> There are a few IDEs which can use DMD. Here's a list of editors:
> http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?EditorSupport
> 

Hum, that page looks quite outdated, maybe it should be cleaned up a bit? (for instance start marking discontinued editors?)

-- 
Bruno Medeiros - MSc in CS/E student
http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?BrunoMedeiros#D

Bruno Medeiros wrote:
> Kirk McDonald wrote:
>>> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this?
>>
>> There are a few IDEs which can use DMD. Here's a list of editors:
>> http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?EditorSupport
>>
> 
> Hum, that page looks quite outdated, maybe it should be cleaned up a bit? (for instance start marking discontinued editors?)
> 

Ok, I've updated that page: put the list under a tabled and added some info about the projects I know. If anyone has more info about other projects do add that as well.
It should be well worth to keep that entry updated, it's the single most read entry in the D wiki.


-- 
Bruno Medeiros - MSc in CS/E student
http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?BrunoMedeiros#D

== Quote from Bruno Medeiros (brunodomedeiros+spam@com.gmail)'s article
> Bruno Medeiros wrote:
> > Kirk McDonald wrote:
> >>> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this?
> >>
> >> There are a few IDEs which can use DMD. Here's a list of editors: http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?EditorSupport
> >>
> >
> > Hum, that page looks quite outdated, maybe it should be cleaned up a bit? (for instance start marking discontinued editors?)
> >
> Ok, I've updated that page: put the list under a tabled and added
> some info about the projects I know. If anyone has more info about
> other projects do add that as well.
> It should be well worth to keep that entry updated, it's the single
> most read entry in the D wiki.

Unfortunately, most abandoned projects don't have obituaries published when they are abandoned. Maybe it'd easier just to list "pros" and "cons". Features that work well are "pros". Bugs are "cons".

Or maybe we should have an "endorsed" editor (or editors) where one editor (or a few editors) is mentioned at the top of the page with a few reasons why it's a great editor. Personally, I usually use SciTE these days because it's lightweight, flexible, and supports many languages out of the box. (And it's support of D syntax includes correct handling of nested comments, too.)

jcc7 wrote:
> == Quote from Bruno Medeiros (brunodomedeiros+spam@com.gmail)'s article
>> Bruno Medeiros wrote:
>>> Kirk McDonald wrote:
>>>>> or is there some sort of IDE that goes with this?
>>>> There are a few IDEs which can use DMD. Here's a list of editors:
>>>> http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?EditorSupport
>>>>
>>> Hum, that page looks quite outdated, maybe it should be cleaned up
>>> a bit? (for instance start marking discontinued editors?)
>>>
>> Ok, I've updated that page: put the list under a tabled and added
>> some info about the projects I know. If anyone has more info about
>> other projects do add that as well.
>> It should be well worth to keep that entry updated, it's the single
>> most read entry in the D wiki.
> 
> Unfortunately, most abandoned projects don't have obituaries published when they
> are abandoned. Maybe it'd easier just to list "pros" and "cons". Features that
> work well are "pros". Bugs are "cons".
> 
> Or maybe we should have an "endorsed" editor (or editors) where one editor (or a
> few editors) is mentioned at the top of the page with a few reasons why it's a
> great editor. Personally, I usually use SciTE these days because it's lightweight,
> flexible, and supports many languages out of the box. (And it's support of D
> syntax includes correct handling of nested comments, too.)

Curiously, most Eclipse based projects did post obituaries :P. But you're right, that's not common. We should take DaringStranger idea and place dates on the Status column, otherwise "active" runs the risk of getting outdated.

-- 
Bruno Medeiros - MSc in CS/E student
http://www.prowiki.org/wiki4d/wiki.cgi?BrunoMedeiros#D