D as a Better C (2017)
11 days ago
- #D Programming
- #Compiler
- #Better C
- Walter Bright is the BDFL of the D Programming Language and founder of Digital Mars.
- D was designed to interface easily with C, providing access to C libraries and OS APIs.
- C programs cannot interface with D ones due to dependencies on the D runtime library.
- Better C mode in D subsets the language to remove features requiring the D runtime, making it compatible with C.
- Features removed in Better C include garbage collection, exceptions, and RAII.
- Features retained include memory safety, modules, function overloading, and Unicode support.
- Better C allows gradual conversion of C programs to D, maintaining functionality at each step.
- Examples show D's Better C mode producing the same executable size as C for equivalent code.
- Better C improves expressivity, readability, and safety of C programs without sacrificing performance.