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digitalmars.D.learn - SDL and a 'proper' forum

reply Dan <twinbee40 skytopia.com> writes:
Hi all,
I'm a relative newbie to C/C++, but I am interested in learning D
because of its supposed merits over the aforementioned.

I am interested to know how easily I can use libraries such as the
graphics libraries SDL and GTK/QT.

Rather than an IDE, I would prefer to use my own text editor such as
EditPlus to compile. Do I have to worry about things like using a
makefile, or don't headers exist in D? It would be nice for an
approach where all the info is self-contained in each file, and I can
just 'include' other .d files easily in that same file (no headers).
However, if so, how does the compiler intelligently know not to
recompile already compiled files?

Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
threads and such. How about it?

Cheers, Daniel
http://www.skytopia.com
Sep 01 2006
next sibling parent reply Derek Parnell <derek psyc.ward> writes:
On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:46:23 +0000 (UTC), Dan wrote:


 Hi all,
 I'm a relative newbie to C/C++, but I am interested in learning D
 because of its supposed merits over the aforementioned.



Welcome. There is much knowledge here, so feel free to call upon it.


 I am interested to know how easily I can use libraries such as the
 graphics libraries SDL and GTK/QT.


There are projects around these tools. Check out http://www.dsource.org/


 Rather than an IDE, I would prefer to use my own text editor such as
 EditPlus to compile.


Me too ;-)


 Do I have to worry about things like using a
 makefile, or don't headers exist in D? It would be nice for an
 approach where all the info is self-contained in each file, and I can
 just 'include' other .d files easily in that same file (no headers).
 However, if so, how does the compiler intelligently know not to
 recompile already compiled files?


The D compiler, as supplied by DigitalMars, does not have this facility. To
use DMD, you need to explicitly specify each of the files you need
compiling and linking.

However, there is a tool that I'm supporting that does the 'intelligence'
aspect. You can check it out at http://www.dsource.org/projects/build for
details. But in essence, once you have it you just enter 


  build <mainfile> 

at the command line prompt.



 Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?


Your normal is my abnormal ;-) If you use a half-decent newsreader tool it
can have 'topics' and 'threads' and many more things that web-based forums
seem to lack. In my opinion, phpBB and the like are useful for people who
avoid sophistication. ;-)

-- 
Derek Parnell
Melbourne, Australia
"Down with mediocrity!"
Sep 01 2006
parent reply Dan <twinbee40 skytopia.com> writes:
Hi there,

Thanks Derek and everyone else for your replies.


 Rather than an IDE, I would prefer to use my own text editor such as
 EditPlus to compile.





Me too ;-)


Hehe. It's the small things that count sometimes. A shame I can't
have the best of both worlds though, as IDEs can have useful stuff
like quick navigation to functions.



 Do I have to worry about things like using a
 makefile, or don't headers exist in D? It would be nice for an
 approach where all the info is self-contained in each file, and I can
 just 'include' other .d files easily in that same file (no headers).
 However, if so, how does the compiler intelligently know not to
 recompile already compiled files?


The D compiler, as supplied by DigitalMars, does not have this facility.
To
use DMD, you need to explicitly specify each of the files you need
compiling and linking.


However, there is a tool that I'm supporting that does the


'intelligence'

aspect. You can check it out at http://www.dsource.org/projects/build


for

details. But in essence, once you have it you just enter


 build <mainfile>

at the command line prompt.


Excellent! That's just the kind of thing I was hoping for. Is it
possible
to forget having to declare function headers above all the functions
like
one usually does in C?



 Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?





Your normal is my abnormal ;-)


Lol, I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I can even post at
all ;)

Seriously though, you may have just converted me. However, not everyone
will
be like us. We may be losing people to the language because of this.
However,
rather than add a separate forum, so people have a choice (and
thus split the community), this is what I propose:

Why can't there be a 'database' of comments, each which can be fed to
a newsreader like you have, and also to a dynamic forum generated by the
web site (like phpBB style). This way, we get the best of all worlds -
each
person gets their choice of forum interface, and we all get the game
messages, so there's no community split.


 In my opinion, phpBB and the like are useful for people who
 avoid sophistication. ;-)


Lol :P (quickly and quietly takes the forum from his own site down ;)

Cheers, Daniel
www.skytopia.com
Sep 03 2006
parent mike <vertex gmx.at> writes:
Am 04.09.2006, 03:53 Uhr, schrieb Dan <twinbee40 skytopia.com>:=



 Excellent! That's just the kind of thing I was hoping for. Is it
 possible
 to forget having to declare function headers above all the functions
 like
 one usually does in C?


Hi!

You don't have to declare functions before using them:

' void bar()
' {
'     foo(); // this works just nicely in D
' }
'
' void foo()
' {
'     doStuff();
' }

That's one of the reasons why I switched from C++ to D (and this is also=
  =

one of the reasons why after converting some C++ stuff to D I had about =
 =

30-40% less LOC).

Also you don't have to write those

' void MyClass::doStuff()

things and go hunting for implementations of member functions ("Where'd =
I  =

put that function? In the header file or in the cpp file? Did I make it =
 =

inline or not?") :-)

Declaration and implementation are always in the same spot and don't nee=
d  =

to appear before the actual usage in the code.

-Mike

-- =

Erstellt mit Operas revolution=E4rem E-Mail-Modul: http://www.opera.com/=
mail/
Sep 04 2006
prev sibling next sibling parent reply "xycos" <xycos u.washington.edu> writes:
On Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:46:23 +0000 (UTC),
Dan <twinbee40 skytopia.com> wrote in message
news:edak8v$308$1 digitaldaemon.com


 Hi all,
 I'm a relative newbie to C/C++, but I am interested in learning D
 because of its supposed merits over the aforementioned.
 
 I am interested to know how easily I can use libraries such as the
 graphics libraries SDL and GTK/QT.
 
 Rather than an IDE, I would prefer to use my own text editor such as
 EditPlus to compile. Do I have to worry about things like using a
 makefile, or don't headers exist in D? It would be nice for an
 approach where all the info is self-contained in each file, and I can
 just 'include' other .d files easily in that same file (no headers).
 However, if so, how does the compiler intelligently know not to
 recompile already compiled files?
 
 Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?
 
 Cheers, Daniel
 http://www.skytopia.com


Hello, Daniel. I'm a bit of a newbie myself, but here goes:

1. Check out DerelictSDL: http://www.dsource.org/projects/derelict. 
I'm not sure about GTK/QT, but you might be able to port over the
headers; see http://www.digitalmars.com/d/htomodule.html. Someone else
probably already has, though.

2. No, you don't need header files; and you can do without a makefile
by using the build utility: http://www.dsource.org/projects/build.

3. You can get a newsreader that collapses everything into a topic.;
I'm sure they're availible for Linux.

Good luck,
Best of wishes,
Robert Fraser
Sep 01 2006
parent Johan Granberg <lijat.meREM OVEgmail.com> writes:
xycos wrote:

 1. Check out DerelictSDL: http://www.dsource.org/projects/derelict. 
 I'm not sure about GTK/QT, but you might be able to port over the
 headers; see http://www.digitalmars.com/d/htomodule.html. Someone else
 probably already has, though.


If you don't like the dynamic loading approach of derelict you can find 
other bindings here http://www.algonet.se/~afb/d/

If you come from the c++ world remember to compile and link the bindings 
files they don't work like headers.


 3. You can get a newsreader that collapses everything into a topic.;
 I'm sure they're availible for Linux.


I recommend thunderbird, it is not ideal but it works on every platform.
Sep 02 2006
prev sibling parent reply MatthiasM <dm matthiasm.com> writes:
Dan wrote:

 
 Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?


PLEASE NO forum. I am reading about 20 newsgroups every day. There is 
nothing more annoying than having to visit 20 different web sites, all 
running a different forum software, all with different design and 
different search options. With a news server, I have the choice of 
dozens of newsreaders that I configure any way *I* like, not the way 
some admin forces onto me.

If this was a forum, I'd be long gone.

  Matthias
Sep 02 2006
next sibling parent Kristian <kjkilpi gmail.com> writes:
On Sat, 02 Sep 2006 19:55:48 +0300, MatthiasM <dm matthiasm.com> wrote:


 Dan wrote:

  Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?


 PLEASE NO forum. I am reading about 20 newsgroups every day. There is  
 nothing more annoying than having to visit 20 different web sites, all  
 running a different forum software, all with different design and  
 different search options. With a news server, I have the choice of  
 dozens of newsreaders that I configure any way *I* like, not the way  
 some admin forces onto me.

 If this was a forum, I'd be long gone.

   Matthias


Yep. Newsgroup are so much easier to use (read+post).
(I'am using Opera, and it handles newgroups very nicely.)
Sep 02 2006
prev sibling parent BCS <BCS pathlink.com> writes:
MatthiasM wrote:

 Dan wrote:
 

 Finally, it would be nice for this site to operate a 'normal' forum
 like phpBB. You can split the forum into topics, and there can be
 threads and such. How about it?


 
 
 PLEASE NO forum. I am reading about 20 newsgroups every day. There is 
 nothing more annoying than having to visit 20 different web sites, all 
 running a different forum software, all with different design and 
 different search options. With a news server, I have the choice of 
 dozens of newsreaders that I configure any way *I* like, not the way 
 some admin forces onto me.
 
 If this was a forum, I'd be long gone.
 
  Matthias


Same here.

I wonder if there is any way to get the "look and feal" of a formum out 
of a newsgroup? The archived posts sort of do it.
Sep 02 2006