New Native Languages
, May 08, 2012 D, Go, Vala, and Rust: A new generation of native languages.
D
D is the brain-child of Dr. Dobb's blogger Walter Bright. Like all the other languages discussed here, it's fundamentally an OO language with numerous features that push it into different areas of programming. Originally conceived in response to perceived flaws in C++, D has grown to embrace a wide range of features — optional memory management (garbage collection), robust safety features (via bounds checking and design by contract). While the language has a low-level feel (inline assembly language is supported), it has high-level constructs such as closures, metaprogramming capabilities, and other features associated with functional programming. Because it first appeared in 2001, D has benefited from considerable refinement and optimization. As a result, programs written in D generally show performance close to their C++ counterparts.