I know that GDC and LDC can produce ARM code, but what about D runtime - does it work reliably?

Am Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:21:30 +0100
schrieb Piotr Szturmaj <bncrbme@jadamspam.pl>:

> I know that GDC and LDC can produce ARM code, but what about D runtime - does it work reliably?

I'm not sure if anyone did extensive testing. I compiled & used dustmite on the raspberry pi and that worked well (although it's slooooow).

A good next step would be to run druntime & phobos unittests. As gdc doesn't pass all tests on x86 we'd need some way to disable / skip some tests to really find the arm specific problems though.

On Mar 3, 2013 5:46 PM, "Johannes Pfau" <nospam@example.com> wrote:
>
> Am Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:21:30 +0100
> schrieb Piotr Szturmaj <bncrbme@jadamspam.pl>:
>
> > I know that GDC and LDC can produce ARM code, but what about D runtime - does it work reliably?
>
> I'm not sure if anyone did extensive testing. I compiled & used dustmite on the raspberry pi and that worked well (although it's slooooow).
>
> A good next step would be to run druntime & phobos unittests. As gdc doesn't pass all tests on x86 we'd need some way to disable / skip some tests to really find the arm specific problems though.

Or fix the failing unittests in gdc so at least we have a baseline.   :)

Regards
-- 
Iain Buclaw

*(p < e ? p++ : p) = (c & 0x0f) + '0';

Java has recently released a version for the Raspberry Pi and there is a huge push to get this recognised world-wide.

Currently the principle languages on the default Raspbian system is Python, with Scratch (based on Squeak) the alternate for younger users.

Underneath though it is just Debian on ARM. This means C and C++ are available, but this is not being pushed, except as ways of creating Python extensions.

The Go folk seem to be on a campaign to get Go as the native code language associated with the Raspberry Pi brand. They have a long way to go, but they have powerful backers.

This is an opportunity for the D community to make a play.  DMD is not that play I suspect. GDC would have been the major avenue but… LDC could be a player but… Actions not words are needed if anything is to happen.

PyGame is where the principle action is just now for the Raspberry Pi, but the hardware tinkering folks are on the rise and Python extensions for handing hardware are coming a plenty.

So can D compete with Python+C on the Raspberry Pi?

Answers not on a postcard, or even lengthy mailing list threads, but in compiler ports so I can use them. I have a vested interest in knowing an answer within about 8 weeks.

-- 
Russel. ============================================================================= Dr Russel Winder      t: +44 20 7585 2200   voip: sip:russel.winder@ekiga.net 41 Buckmaster Road    m: +44 7770 465 077   xmpp: russel@winder.org.uk London SW11 1EN, UK   w: www.russel.org.uk  skype: russel_winder