Is D a credible alternative to Java and C++?

Question

Is the [D language](http://www.digitalmars.com/d/) a credible alternative to Java and C++? What will it take to become a credible alternative? Should I bother learning it? Does it deserve evangelizing?The main reason I ask is that with the new C++ standard (c++0x) almost here, it's clear to me that the language has gone well past the point of no return with respect to anyone ever understanding it. I know that C/C++ will never die but at some point we need to move on. Even COBOL had its day and Java has in many respects undone C++. So what's next? Does D fill the bill?

Answer 1

Believe it or not I've actual been a COBOL developer!

And I'm here to tell you that every niche has its uses. The benefit for someone learning COBOL for example, is job security. Banks have archaic systems still written in COBOL for security reasons and a lot of their old programmers are retiring. In some cases they even have to buy people out of retirement just to keep their Mainframes up to par!

That being said though, I think you'll have a little bit of a hard time with D. I haven't heard of much need for the D programming language in any job listing I've seen and I've read thousands. You're looking at perhaps the worlds most singularly obscure job posting by Microsoft or IBM that requires D. And even then if you're familiar with a compiled C-style programming language and already work at those companies they would probably not even waste the time looking for someone who studied D and instead choose to re-train and educate their own people.

I don't want to say there's no reason to learn D at all because I'm sure you could find one. But even in todays diverse world of tech job openings you would have an extremely hard time finding a D requirement.

I suggest that you stick to C++, Java or honestly even COBOL as a main language. I don't want to discourage you from learning D in general though. I think it would be a cool side project or hobby for you to have. Something novel to mention in job interviews or maybe highlight on your Github profile.

But in general, unless you already have a job offer, C++ is definitely still in huge demand in the finance industry and doesn't seem to be showing signs of going anywhere anytime soon.