The Howdy Glossary

D is a general-purpose systems and applications programming language. It has been used mainly in developing performance-critical software like video games, real-time operating systems, and scientific simulations. D's design was influenced by other languages such as C++, Java, Python, and Ruby. The language supports object-oriented programming with interfaces, multiple inheritance for classes (which it calls "templates"), templates to achieve generic programming capabilities without sacrificing performance or safety, and static duck typing through the use of templates to promote effective code reuse. It is statically typed and compiles directly to machine code using the DMD compiler or LLVM-based LDC compiler. D also offers built-in functionality for unit testing, documentation generation from source code comments (similar to Javadoc), and metaprogramming features that allow programs to be generated at compile time via template meta-programming techniques.