The D Programming Language
Modern convenience. Modeling power. Native efficiency.
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// Round floating point numbers import std.algorithm, std.conv, std.functional, std.math, std.regex, std.stdio; // Transforms input into a real number, // rounds it, then to a string alias round = pipe!(to!real, std.math.round, to!string); // Matches numbers that look like they need rounding static reFloatingPoint = ctRegex!`[0-9]+\.[0-9]+`; void main(string[] args) { // If arguments, process those and exit, // otherwise wait around for input on stdin if (args.length > 1) args[1..$].map!round.joiner(" ").writeln; else // Replace anything that looks like a real // number with the rounded equivalent. stdin.byLine(KeepTerminator.yes) .map!(l => l.replaceAll!(c => c.hit.round) (reFloatingPoint)) .copy(stdout.lockingTextWriter()); }
Convenience
D allows writing large code fragments without redundantly specifying types, like dynamic languages do. On the other hand, static inference deduces types and other code properties, giving the best of both the static and the dynamic worlds.
void main() { // Define an array of numbers, double[]. // Compiler recognizes the common // type of all initializers. auto arr = [ 1, 2, 3.14, 5.1, 6 ]; // Dictionary that maps string to int, // type is spelled int[string] auto dictionary = [ "one" : 1, "two" : 2, "three" : 3 ]; // Calls the min function defined below auto x = min(arr[0], dictionary["two"]); } // Type deduction works for function results. // This is important for generic functions, // such as min below, which works correctly // for all comparable types. auto min(T1, T2)(T1 lhs, T2 rhs) { return rhs < lhs ? rhs : lhs; }
Automatic memory management makes for safe, simple, and robust code. D also supports scoped resource management (aka the RAII idiom) and scope statements for deterministic transactional code that is easy to write and read.
import std.stdio; class Widget { } void main() { // Automatically managed. auto w = new Widget; // Code is executed in any case upon scope exit. scope(exit) { writeln("Exiting main."); } // File is closed deterministically at scope's end. foreach (line; File("text.txt").byLine()) { writeln(line); } writeln(); }
Built-in linear and associative arrays, slices, and ranges make daily programming simple and pleasant for tasks, both small and large.
#!/usr/bin/env rdmd import std.range, std.stdio; // Compute average line length for stdin void main() { ulong lines = 0, sumLength = 0; foreach (line; stdin.byLine()) { ++lines; sumLength += line.length; } writeln("Average line length: ", lines ? cast(double) sumLength / lines : 0.0); }
Power
The best paradigm is to not impose something at the expense of others. D offers classic polymorphism, value semantics, functional style, generics, generative programming, contract programming, and more—all harmoniously integrated.
// Interfaces and classes interface Printable { void print(uint level) // contract is part of the interface in { assert(level > 0); } } // Interface implementation class Widget : Printable { void print(uint level) in{ } body{ } } // Single inheritance of state class ExtendedWidget : Widget { override void print(uint level) in { /* weakening precondition is okay */ } body { //... level may be 0 here ... } } // Immutable data shared across threads immutable string programName = "demo"; // Mutable data is thread-local int perThread = 42; // Explicitly shared data shared int perApp = 5; // Structs have value semantics struct BigNum { // intercept copying this(this) { } // intercept destructor ~this() { } } void main() { // ... }
D offers an innovative approach to concurrency, featuring true immutable data, message passing, no sharing by default, and controlled mutable sharing across threads. Read more.
From simple scripts to large projects, D has the breadth to scale with any application's needs: unit testing, information hiding, refined modularity, fast compilation, precise interfaces. Read more.
Efficiency
D compiles naturally to efficient native code.
D is designed such that most "obvious" code is fast and safe. On occasion a function might need to escape the confines of type safety for ultimate speed and control. For such rare cases D offers native pointers, type casts, access to any C function without any intervening translation, manual memory management, custom allocators and even inline assembly code.
import core.stdc.stdlib; void livingDangerously() { // Access to C's malloc and free primitives auto buf = malloc(1024 * 1024); // free automatically upon scope exit scope(exit) free(buf); // Interprets memory as an array of floats auto floats = cast(float[]) buf[0 .. 1024 * 1024]; // Even stack allocation is possible auto moreBuf = alloca(4096 * 100); //... } // Using inline asm for extra speed on x86 uint checked_multiply(uint x, uint y) { uint result; version (D_InlineAsm_X86) { // Inline assembler "sees" D variables. asm { mov EAX,x ; mul EAX,y ; mov result,EAX ; jc Loverflow ; } return result; } else { result = x * y; if (!y || x <= uint.max / y) return result; } Loverflow: throw new Exception("multiply overflow"); } void main() { // ... }
The @safe, @trusted, and @system function attributes allow the programmer to best decide the safety-efficiency tradeoffs of an application, and have the compiler check for consistency. Read more.