D
Introduction
D is static, compiled language influenced by C++. It was created by Walter Bright, author of the first C++ compiler to compile directly to machine code.[citation needed]
D has an imperative core, but is a multi-paradigm language that includes support for object-orientated, functional, and generic programming.
Advantages
- Fast language, with performance comparable to C++ while still being garbage collected by default.
- Interfaces well with C libraries, without writing boilerplate or using a foreign function interface, though cannot import headers unmodified - see http://www.digitalmars.com/d/2.0/htomodule.html . Although C++ interfacing is more limited, it is available (see D Programming Language Specification: Chapter 33).
- Has a modern module system, no need to write header files or deal with a preprocessor.
- Syntax is familiar to C, C++, C#, Java etc programmers.
- Supports the functional programming paradigm better than other C-like languages, with features such as closures, delegates, transitive immutability, higher order functions, anonymous functions, and the ability to write compiler enforced pure functions.
- D2 tries to do the template metaprogramming thing, which C++ supports without really meaning to, in a way that's actually sane to use.
- DMD builds code incredibly fast, making compile-edit-run cycles comparable to dynamic languages. Build automation tools like make, etc. are used in the same way as they are used in C/C++ projects.
- Knowledgeable, helpful community (including the D.learn forum for asking questions).
- Unicode native - call the ☃.melt() function, or instantiate a 💡!T; the basic string type is UTF-8.
- A package registry (http://code.dlang.org/)
Disadvantages
- There aren't as many libraries available if you want pure D implementations.
- The language is mostly stable, but still has breaking changes on rare occasion.
- Documentation sometimes abstruse or lacking examples; paucity of beginner learning resources.
Compilers/Tooling
- DMD (reference compiler; bleeding edge feature support) - http://dlang.org/download.html
- GDC (GCC backend; targets the most platforms) - http://gdcproject.org/
- LDC (LLVM backend; usually builds the fastest binaries) - http://wiki.dlang.org/LDC
- Dub (Package manager and build tool) - http://code.dlang.org/download
- IDEs and IDE plugins - http://wiki.dlang.org/IDEs
- Editor support - http://wiki.dlang.org/Editors
- Other stuff (debugging, profiling, fixup, etc.) - http://wiki.dlang.org/Development_tools
Roguelike Libraries
- Bindings for libtcod - http://code.google.com/p/libtcod-d/
- Interface to ncurses - https://github.com/D-Programming-Deimos/ncurses
- Adam Ruppe's arsd collection (simpledisplay, terminal, eventloop, database, script, etc.) - https://github.com/adamdruppe/arsd
- Terminal ANSI colour lib - http://code.dlang.org/packages/rainbow
- Parser for Tiled maps - http://code.dlang.org/packages/dtiled
- ArmageddonEngine, D2 library for games, network applications etc. (lots of utility code) - https://github.com/CyberShadow/ae
- Console rendering with layers for games - http://code.dlang.org/packages/clayers