I was currently using Code::Blocks since I used to code in C. But I realized that there is limited D language support in this IDE. There is no code completion and refactoring variable names does not work for example. I can still manage to compile and run the program with ldc.

In order to find a new alternative on linux, I was checking the list of IDE found here:

https://wiki.dlang.org/IDEs

I did not want to use IntelliJ because it's fat, slow and memory hungry. The interface is also overcrowded.

I did not want to use VScode because ... it's Microsoft. Still, I am willing to use it as a last resort option.

Dexed was one of the available options. So I installed the software and managed to run it. Now I tried just to create a DUB project add a file to it and compile and run.

• I cannot add source files to projects
• Even if I selected LDC as the default compiler and specified its path, it still try uses DMD to compile code.
• Variable renaming does not work, nothing happens.

So I was beginning to wonder if Dexed was actually a solid IDE or it's just me that does not understand how to use it.

Else, I wondered if I could try a generic IDE like Geany and try to configure the compilation process manually. Still, not sure I would be getting advanced feature like code completion.

Anybody familiar with dexed?

Else, should I stick to Code::Blocks or switch to something else?

On Monday, 10 June 2024 at 14:23:34 UTC, Eric P626 wrote:

I recommend you to use visual studio code with dlang extensions. İt is cross-platform and has a good support.

On Monday, 10 June 2024 at 15:58:41 UTC, Ferhat Kurtulmuş wrote:

I tried VScode, I could not manage to create a project or compile and run a simple file. It also complained about missing serve-d, I realinstalled it at vscode's demand, not sure if it will actually solve the issue.

On Wednesday, 12 June 2024 at 05:03:25 UTC, Eric P626 wrote:

I always start a new project by creating this folder structure. Then open yourprojectroot with vscode. Maybe vscode extensions have automation for it, but I never bother using it.

/yourprojectroot/
/yourprojectroot/dub.json //minimum content: {"name": "myproject"}
/yourprojectroot/source/app.d

For the serve-d issue, you can open an issue or ask WebFreak001. https://github.com/WebFreak001

On Wednesday, 12 June 2024 at 07:30:35 UTC, Ferhat Kurtulmuş wrote:

I explored further, and from what I understand, there is no project management in VScode. I can browse and edit files, and that is almost all of it. If you are building a website, this is not an issue, because there is nothing to build, the browser will read the files. But it does not work for software that requires compilation. Maybe you need the real Visual Studio. In fact, I don't think there is any way to build any software from VScode without plug-ins. So you need to use an external builder to do so.

The only positive is that there is recognition of the code with code completion.

For now, I am not convinced that this is the best solution for me unless I desperately need code completion.

On Monday, 10 June 2024 at 14:23:34 UTC, Eric P626 wrote:

You must refresh in the project inspector so that new sources got detected and visible in the the tree. DUB projects usually dont use specific sources, rather a root folder

However you can add specific sources, that can be made in the "DUB project editor".
Once done you still need to save the project (and eventually to refresh... I dont remember how that is implemented RN).

you must also define that DUB projects are compiled with the "global" compiler (options/DUB build/compiler).

There's no notion of "default" so I suppose you meant "global".

Variable renaming is based on a DCD feature that only works within a function body.

Well it's a bit both. Dexed actually matches to its author needs. The author does not program in D anymore so it's possible that a few things are broken and the he did not notice. Nowadays he almost entirely uses Dexed to work on another language called STYX (dexe support it too), so DUB support, completion support, etc. are not really maintained.

On Friday, 21 June 2024 at 09:04:11 UTC, Basile B. wrote:

Last 3 commits specific to D, most recent one is from 10 months ago.
Least recent is almost from 12 months ago.

• https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/commit/052e49aa35f7c2097bd714033a5ac75dac5fe992
• https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/commit/f06ad0ad8cada35e83ed54b010f3f80dc9426cef
• https://gitlab.com/basile.b/dexed/-/commit/bd2a5d16dfc059910318f0089e581e45d680a0db

I was not sure, after my answer, but yes, about the D support, you can consider dexed as dead.

On Friday, 21 June 2024 at 11:37:21 UTC, Basile B. wrote:

I am going to give another try to Dexed to see if I can make it work.

Normally, I want the IDE to compile the software just for when I am developing to test if what I am coding works. It's not used to build the final product. Else, I need to use an external builder, go into command line mode and build/run the project. It's just more convenient from the IDE.

Apparently there is a plugin for Geany that supports the D language, I am also going to give a try:

https://github.com/denizzzka/geany_dlang