One of the most confusing aspects of D 2.0 is the const regime, the keywords and concepts involved in supporting read-only and immutable data. The basic premise of this system in 2.0 is that no language has yet gotten it right, including C++ and even D 1.0. I’ve not touched D2 yet and the discussions of const and friends in the NG have left my head spinning on more than one occasion.
Walter recently responded to a post on the NG with some insightful comments on the const regime in D2. His post doesn’t serve to explain the mechanics of the system to those who don’t understand it, but does explain the problems of implementing it and the reasons why it needs to be implemented correctly. I admit to being one of those Walter mentions in the post who have come to believe “const is bad” after all of the mess surrounding its implementation. After reading it, though, I’m inclined to give const a chance. If you are in the same boat, I recommend you give it a read as well.
This topic is certainly a good candidate for a post on Walter’s blog. Might we see one soon?
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