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D - Out of Place!

reply "Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> writes:
Think I ought to go find a new hole to live in! I read "all" the posts on
this both D and D.gnu newsgroups, but feel so out of place, cause I can't
understand in excess of 90% of them.  Any idea where I could find place
that caters to developing the profoundly lost and utterly clueless mind?

Andrew
Jun 12 2002
next sibling parent reply andy <acoliver apache.org> writes:
Andrew wrote:

 Think I ought to go find a new hole to live in! I read "all" the posts on
 this both D and D.gnu newsgroups, but feel so out of place, cause I can't
 understand in excess of 90% of them.  Any idea where I could find place
 that caters to developing the profoundly lost and utterly clueless mind?
 
 Andrew
 


Maybe start here?

http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/cgi-local/pragprog?TheDLanguage
Jun 12 2002
parent reply "Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> writes:
| Maybe start here?
|
| http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/cgi-local/pragprog?TheDLanguage
|

To me this assumes that you already know how to program! I think I need to
go way back to the basics...
Jun 12 2002
parent reply andy <acoliver apache.org> writes:
Andrew wrote:

 | Maybe start here?
 |
 | http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/cgi-local/pragprog?TheDLanguage
 |
 
 To me this assumes that you already know how to program! I think I need to
 go way back to the basics...
 


ahh.  yes.  I'm not sure I'd recommend D as a first language.  Its not
yet mature, and you're best not worrying about "gee is this because of
me or because the only compiler available is an alpha" --
Jun 12 2002
parent reply "Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> writes:
andy wrote:

| ahh.  yes.  I'm not sure I'd recommend D as a first language.  Its not
| yet mature, and you're best not worrying about "gee is this because of
| me or because the only compiler available is an alpha" --
|

I heard that before! But I have read somewhere that D is easy to learn and
would be a great starting point! Thus I made the decision that this would
be it! Guess I'll just have to struggle through it! Make no mistake, I will
get it!
Jun 12 2002
next sibling parent Patrick Down <pat codemoon.com> writes:
"Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> wrote in
news:ae7lmc$1b8j$1 digitaldaemon.com: 


 andy wrote:
 
| ahh.  yes.  I'm not sure I'd recommend D as a first language.  Its
| not yet mature, and you're best not worrying about "gee is this
| because of me or because the only compiler available is an alpha" --
|
 
 I heard that before! But I have read somewhere that D is easy to learn
 and would be a great starting point! Thus I made the decision that
 this would be it! Guess I'll just have to struggle through it! Make no
 mistake, I will get it!


The issue really is not so much if D is easier to learn.

Let me make an analogy between programming languages and spoken
languages.  You can say the same thing in a lot of different
languages.  Sometimes a concept is easier to express in one
or another.  But it's not just "how do I say it?" but "what do I 
say?".  Imagine you are an English speaker, you don't know French, 
and you don't know anything about building bridges.  Now try to 
learn French by having a conversation about bridge building with 
a French speaking engineer.   

The point I'm trying to make is there are a lot of aspects to
programming to learn than just a programming language.  What's
the best data structure to use to hold this piece of data? What's 
the best algorithm to use to process it?  How should I manage memory
for this type of problem?  How do I access a database?  How do I 
draw graphics?  How do I make a GUI interface?  How do I talk to
a remote server?

The problem with D right now is that you won't find many examples
of these sorts of things in D right now.  A lot of people on this 
news group are trying to reinvent them in D but there is a long 
way to go yet.  However you will find a lot of examples of these
sorts of things in languages like C++ or some other established 
programming languages.
Jun 12 2002
prev sibling parent reply "Matthew Wilson" <dm synesis-group.com> writes:
Maybe we could have a "D-neophytes" news-group (Walter ??), that would be
specifically for tutorial and basic issues, leaving all the scary monkey
stuff on this one?

We'd all no doubt be avid readers of this new group, but hopefully would
only need to post to ask learning questions or to answer them ...

"Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ae7lmc$1b8j$1 digitaldaemon.com...

 andy wrote:

 | ahh.  yes.  I'm not sure I'd recommend D as a first language.  Its not
 | yet mature, and you're best not worrying about "gee is this because of
 | me or because the only compiler available is an alpha" --
 |

 I heard that before! But I have read somewhere that D is easy to learn and
 would be a great starting point! Thus I made the decision that this would
 be it! Guess I'll just have to struggle through it! Make no mistake, I


will

 get it!
Jun 12 2002
parent "anderson" <anderson firestar.com.au> writes:
That's a good idea but... I've found that when a second group for beginners
is started, advanced users seem to keep way from it.

"Matthew Wilson" <dm synesis-group.com> wrote in message
news:ae8j89$1g1k$2 digitaldaemon.com...

 Maybe we could have a "D-neophytes" news-group (Walter ??), that would be
 specifically for tutorial and basic issues, leaving all the scary monkey
 stuff on this one?

 We'd all no doubt be avid readers of this new group, but hopefully would
 only need to post to ask learning questions or to answer them ...
Jun 13 2002
prev sibling next sibling parent "Matthew Wilson" <dm synesis-group.com> writes:
You're on it, mate!

I reckon that everyone's in the same boat. We each bring some expertise in
other areas, but this stuff's so new that

    experience_of_participation_in_D_news_group == future_shock pow 3

Don't worry about it. I've not seen one word of abuse of any person since
I've been on the site.

Now, as to fixing your consternation, I am hoping "The D Journal" will
provide for a more stable picture of the language, since it will necessarily
be monthly/bi-monthly still-shots of the current state. Then one can be
comfortable, albeit 4-8 weeks behind.

In fact, one of my main motivations for suggesting the magazine was so that
I could have access to such a stabler picture.

:)

"Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ae7iqd$e3d$1 digitaldaemon.com...

 Think I ought to go find a new hole to live in! I read "all" the posts on
 this both D and D.gnu newsgroups, but feel so out of place, cause I can't
 understand in excess of 90% of them.  Any idea where I could find place
 that caters to developing the profoundly lost and utterly clueless mind?

 Andrew
Jun 12 2002
prev sibling parent "anderson" <anderson firestar.com.au> writes:
Ask away.

What's your first problem?
Have you got the hello world program to run?

http://www.digitalmars.com/d/html.html

The best way to learn programming is trial an error, and a bit of reading.

Just type out a few programs and then experiment with them? What will happen
if I do this or change put this here? Why doesn't this work? (that's what
this newsgroup's for)

Here's another thing to fiddle with.
http://www.digitalmars.com/d/wc.html

Parhaps you could help some other beginners by posting some questions.


"Andrew" <crxace13 comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ae7iqd$e3d$1 digitaldaemon.com...

 Think I ought to go find a new hole to live in! I read "all" the posts on
 this both D and D.gnu newsgroups, but feel so out of place, cause I can't
 understand in excess of 90% of them.  Any idea where I could find place
 that caters to developing the profoundly lost and utterly clueless mind?

 Andrew
Jun 13 2002