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D (Programming Language) VS Arcan

Compare D (Programming Language) VS Arcan and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

D (Programming Language) logo D (Programming Language)

D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.

Arcan logo Arcan

Game engine and multimedia framework and display server.
  • D (Programming Language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09
  • Arcan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-14

D (Programming Language) features and specs

  • Performance
    D is designed to be a high-performance systems programming language, offering performance comparable to C and C++ through native machine code compilation.
  • Expressiveness
    D features a rich standard library and modern language constructs, such as garbage collection, first-class arrays, and advanced templating, making it easier to write expressive and maintainable code.
  • Memory Safety
    D offers optional garbage collection along with manual memory management. This hybrid approach can help in developing safer applications by reducing memory-related errors.
  • Interoperability
    D can easily interoperate with C API, enabling seamless integration with existing C libraries and systems. It also supports better C++ interoperability compared to other languages.
  • Built-in Unit Testing
    D has built-in support for unit tests, allowing developers to write and run tests as part of the language itself, facilitating test-driven development.
  • Concurrency
    D offers built-in concurrency support with message passing, similar to the actor model found in languages like Erlang, making it easier to write concurrent and parallel programs.

Possible disadvantages of D (Programming Language)

  • Adoption
    D is not as widely adopted as other languages like C, C++, or Java. This limited adoption means fewer libraries, frameworks, and community support.
  • Toolchain Maturity
    While D's compilers and tools have improved over the years, they may still lack the maturity and feature set of more established languages, which can affect developer productivity.
  • Learning Curve
    D's richness and combination of paradigms (such as imperative, object-oriented, and functional programming) can present a steep learning curve for new developers.
  • Garbage Collection
    Although D offers optional garbage collection, its reliance on it for memory safety might be seen as a drawback for real-time system development where deterministic memory management is crucial.
  • Ecosystem
    The ecosystem for D is less vibrant compared to more popular languages, leading to potentially fewer third-party libraries, tools, and resources.
  • Standard Library Documentation
    The standard library documentation can be inconsistent or less comprehensive compared to other languages, making it difficult for developers to fully utilize all features of the language.

Arcan features and specs

  • Open Source
    Arcan is open-source, allowing developers to access, modify, and improve the source code according to their needs. This fosters a community-driven environment and enhances transparency.
  • Versatility
    Arcan is designed to handle a wide array of graphical and multimedia tasks, making it suitable for various applications beyond just a display server.
  • Security Focus
    The platform emphasizes security by design, providing mechanisms to isolate and protect components and users, which is crucial in multi-user or multi-tenant systems.
  • Performance
    Arcan is optimized for performance, aiming to deliver efficient rendering and resource utilization, which is beneficial for both desktop environments and embedded systems.

Possible disadvantages of Arcan

  • Complexity
    Due to its extensive feature set and adaptable nature, Arcan's framework may have a steep learning curve for new users or developers unfamiliar with its architecture.
  • Limited Adoption
    Compared to more established systems like X11 or Wayland, Arcan has a smaller user base, which can limit community support, third-party integrations, and documentation.
  • Compatibility Challenges
    As Arcan offers a unique approach to handling graphical tasks, it might face compatibility issues with software or systems not specifically designed to work with its environment.

Analysis of D (Programming Language)

Overall verdict

  • Overall, D is a solid programming language choice that balances performance with productivity. It may not be as widely adopted as some other languages, but it has a dedicated community and continues to evolve, making it a viable option for various programming tasks.

Why this product is good

  • The D programming language is considered good by many developers for various reasons. It combines the performance and low-level control of C/C++ with the expressive power and ease of use found in modern languages. D offers features like garbage collection, first-class functions, and compile-time function execution, providing both speed and flexibility. Its interoperability with C, the convenience of a powerful standard library (Phobos), and the availability of packages via the DUB package manager make it a practical choice for systems programming, application development, and rapid prototyping.

Recommended for

  • System programming enthusiasts looking for an alternative to C/C++
  • Developers interested in writing high-performance applications
  • Programmers who appreciate modern language features and strong community support
  • Projects requiring seamless C integration
  • Individuals looking for a language that supports easy code maintenance and scalability

D (Programming Language) videos

D Language Tutorial

Arcan videos

A Quick Review of Arcan XL3000 Low Profile Floor Jack

More videos:

  • Review - Arcan 2 Ton Jack For The Lexus Gsf
  • Review - Arcan 3 Ton Aluminum Low Profile Jack Review On The Jeep Wrangler YJ

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to D (Programming Language) and Arcan)
Programming Language
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
0 0%
100% 100
OOP
100 100%
0% 0
Operating Systems
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, D (Programming Language) should be more popular than Arcan. It has been mentiond 60 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

D (Programming Language) mentions (60)

  • Ask HN: What is your (AI) dev tech stack / workflow? (June 2026)
    I've spent 2 weeks (2-4h per day) to make D language[1] version of Sciter SDK [2] Choice of AI "tooling" was by accident - typed something like "how to define copy constructor in D for custom structure" in Microsoft's Copilot in Edge browser that gives context for AI. The answer was good enough for me and so I went with it further. [1] D language HQ : https://dlang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Rue: Higher level than Rust, lower level than Go
    > Mostly, I am not really trying to compete with C/C++/Rust on speed, but I'm not going to add a GC either. So I'm somewhere in there. Out of curiosity, how would you compare the goals of Rue with something like D[0] or one of the ML-based languages such as OCaml[1]? 0 - https://dlang.org/ 1 - https://ocaml.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Pony: An actor-model, capabilities-secure, high-performance programming language
    The D language home page has something similar with a drop down with code examples https://dlang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: D++lang โ€“ A new systems programming language with Python-like syntax
    What is this? There's a lot of red flags here. * The name "D" for a programming language was taken in 1999: https://dlang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Koto Programming Language
    >For me the biggest gap in programming languages is a rust like language with a garbage collector, instead of a borrow checker. I cannot agree more that's the much needed sweet spot/Goldilock/etc. Personally I have been advocating this approach for some times. Apparently the language is already widely available and currently has stable and wide compiler support including the venerable GNU compiler suite (GDC). It... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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Arcan mentions (26)

  • Wayland set the Linux Desktop back by 10 years
    Take a look at Arcan, it supports both X11 and Wayland (and I think other protocols too). https://arcan-fe.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Ask HN: The Next Big OS Leap
    Nope, because we already could have had that with VR/AR glasses, and while there are some (even impressive) options now, they aren't mainstream. Neither are the 'apps', nor the content interoperable, exchangable. Furthermore I see nothing wrong with the desktop metaphor, it's just that we mostly only had a miserable magnifying glass, giving only a small viewport into a crammed childs toy, instead of real... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Phoenix: A modern X server written from scratch in Zig
    Wayland made writing WMs needlessly hard, and the benefits of Wayland were frankly not real - most of the reasons given in 2011 were patched in to X11 later. All the Wayland rewrite got us was a situation where Wayland is both bleeding-edge and obsolete simultaneously. Say what you like about X11, but by the time people unironically pushed for mass Wayland adoption, X11 was stable and boringly so.... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Former Apple, Google designer: "Are we stuck with the same Desktop UX forever?" [video]
    Maybe might be appropriate in this discussion: https://arcan-fe.com/ I hope this project will produce some usable new UX at some point. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • The Terminal of the Future
    - https://arcan-fe.com/ which introduces a new protocol for TUI applications, which leads to better interactions across the different layers (hard to describe! But the website has nice videos and explanations of what is made possible). - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing D (Programming Language) and Arcan, you can also consider the following products

C++ - Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation

Wayfire - Wayland compositor with 3d effects.

Nim (programming language) - The Nim programming language is a concise, fast programming language that compiles to C, C++ and JavaScript.

Unity8 - Mir compositor with Wayland apps support.

V (programming language) - Simple, fast, safe, compiled language for developing maintainable software.

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.