Recs.
Updated
D provides a low overhead language to begin the learning process. The selection of features allow for an assortment of teaching styles and subjects. One can start from high level functional, object oriented all the way down to ASM within the same language environment.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Comes with std.ggetopt to parse command line options.
See https://dlang.org/phobos/std_getopt.html
. The getopt module implements a getopt function, which adheres to the POSIX syntax for command line options. GNU extensions are supported in the form of long options introduced by a double dash ("--"). Support for bundling of command line options, as was the case with the more traditional single-letter approach, is provided but not enabled by default.
Pro Provides a powerful data structure on top of C's arrays called slices
D provides a structure that builds on C's arrays called slices. A slice is a segment of an array that tracks the pointer and the length of the segment.
Slices are extremely powerful because they combine the protection of knowing the length of the data with the garbage collector that manages the memory backing that data, thus avoiding most memory corruption issues.
Pro Unit testing built-in
D provides unittest blocks to insert code that verifies functions preform their expected behavior and document edge cases. Since these are enabled with a compiler switch, there is no need to teach new programmers how to install new libraries and import modules, instead training on test driven design can start from the very first function.
Cons
Con Poor adoption even after many years of existence
There's a widely accepted perception of D as a language that has been poorly adopted. Since adoption is driven by perception this becomes a fact. So managers and engineers start becoming nervous in adopting a language that has such a perception among the community and that has been so unsuccessful for so long.
Con Failed at becoming alternative to C or C++
Almost as confused and complicated as C++, but without the popularity and widespread corporate usage. Also failed at becoming a good cross-platform GUI application development language like Object Pascal. Many missed past opportunities, and now newer languages are better alternatives.