Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

D (Programming Language) VS Pharo

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

D (Programming Language) logo D (Programming Language)

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

Pharo logo Pharo

Pharo is a pure object-oriented programming language and a powerful environment, focused on...
  • D (Programming Language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09
  • Pharo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-26

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.

Pharo features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Pharo offers a highly integrated development environment with powerful tools like the inspector, debugger, and playgrounds, enhancing the overall development experience.
  • Live Code Changes
    Pharo supports live coding, allowing developers to make changes and see the effects immediately without the need to stop and restart the application.
  • Rich Libraries
    Pharo comes with a comprehensive set of libraries and frameworks, reducing the need to search for external dependencies and allowing for rapid development.
  • Object-Oriented Language
    Pharo is a true object-oriented language, which makes it natural for modeling real-world scenarios and leveraging the power of polymorphism and inheritance.
  • Community and Support
    Pharo has an active and supportive community that contributes to continuous improvements, tutorials, documentation, and libraries.

Possible disadvantages of Pharo

  • Niche Ecosystem
    Pharo's ecosystem is relatively small compared to more mainstream programming languages, which might make it harder to find libraries, tools, and examples for specific needs.
  • Learning Curve
    Pharo can have a steep learning curve, especially for developers not familiar with Smalltalk or the unique aspects of its environment.
  • Limited Job Market
    Compared to more popular languages like JavaScript or Python, the job market for Pharo developers is limited, potentially making it less attractive for career-oriented developers.
  • Performance Constraints
    While suitable for many kinds of applications, Pharo’s performance might not be on par with languages specifically optimized for high-performance computing or low-level system programming.
  • Documentation
    Although improving, Pharo's documentation may not be as extensive or as easy to navigate as that of more widely-used programming languages, which can be challenging for new users.

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

Analysis of Pharo

Overall verdict

  • Pharo is generally considered good, especially for developers who appreciate a clean, object-oriented programming environment. Its benefits include ease of use, powerful development tools, and an active support community, which make it a strong candidate for many programming projects.

Why this product is good

  • Pharo is an open-source, dynamically-typed programming language and environment that is focused on simplicity and immediate feedback. It's built around the idea of live coding and offers powerful tools for software development, including a modern version of the Smalltalk language. It is particularly appreciated for its elegant syntax, object-oriented design, and innovative development environment which allows for immediate testing and debugging. Pharo also has a strong and active community, providing support and a library of resources and packages.

Recommended for

  • Developers interested in object-oriented programming
  • Individuals looking for a live coding environment
  • Educational purposes and teaching programming concepts
  • Projects that require rapid prototyping and iteration
  • Developers who enjoy experimenting with new languages and paradigms

D (Programming Language) videos

D Language Tutorial

Pharo videos

Black Ops 3 In Depth: Pharo Burst Fire SMG Review (Best SMG?)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to D (Programming Language) and Pharo)
Programming Language
56 56%
44% 44
OOP
59 59%
41% 41
Generic Programming Language
Development
65 65%
35% 35

User comments

Share your experience with using D (Programming Language) and Pharo. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, D (Programming Language) should be more popular than Pharo. It has been mentiond 56 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 (56)

  • 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 / 3 months ago
  • Apple didn't fix Swift's biggest flaw
    Those languages are definitely with us, https://dlang.org/ https://www.embarcadero.com/products/delphi https://www.mikroe.com/mikropascal-arm https://www.eiffel.com/ https://www.ptc.com/en/products/developer-tools/objectada. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Berry is a ultra-lightweight dynamically typed embedded scripting language
    Show examples on the main web page. Try and find an AngelScript example. It's stupidly hard. Compare it to these web sites: https://dlang.org/ https://koka-lang.github.io/koka/doc/index.html https://vale.dev/ http://mu-script.org/ https://go.dev/ https://www.hylo-lang.org/ Sadly Rust fails this too but at least the Playground is only one click away. And Rust is mainstream anyway so it doesn't matter as much. I... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Small Joys with Odin
    >and D The D language, that is. https://dlang.org. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Red Programming Language
    You are both right it seems. GP seems to have omitted withour GC. Number one on your list could be Dlang no? Not affiliated. https://dlang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
View more

Pharo mentions (34)

  • The Xerox Alto, Smalltalk, and Rewriting a Running GUI
    Someone replied to one of my recent posts with this modern Smalltalk implementation: https://pharo.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 days ago
  • Ask HN: How Are Parents Who Program Teaching Their Kids Today?
    There is a turtle graphics framework in the Python standard library: https://docs.python.org/3/library/turtle.html Pharo is a cross-platform implementation of the classic Smalltalk-80 programming language and runtime system: https://pharo.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 16 days ago
  • _M2dir: Treating mails as files without going crazy
    Pharo/SmallTalk seem to also explore the ideas akin to this. (https://pharo.org/) to be fair the current state of affairs is similar enough with file extensions + mime info if you squint hard enough and pretend that app and systems folders files don't exist but it's held with pinky promises. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Enlightenmentware
    Smalltalk and as a particular case Pharo is an example of this for me. (https://pharo.org/). When I was in uni a paper that I always came back to was Licklider's 1960s paper on human-computer symbiosis (https://worrydream.com/refs/Licklider_1960_-_Man-Computer_Symbiosis.pdf) "[...]to enable men and computers to cooperate in making decisions and controlling complex situations without inflexible dependence on... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Why don't schools teach debugging, or, more fundamentally, fundamentals?
    I think in part it's because the idea that programming is text and math-based is too ingrained in society. For example, we talk about programming languages. But IMO there are also programming systems such as Smalltalk [1]. I've programmed 2 years professionally in it, currently looking for an engagement in a different language (a curiosity thing, also a resume thing). I think Smalltalk has a lot to offer by... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Smalltalk - Smalltalk is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language. It is objects all the way down.

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

Pike programming language - Dynamic programming language with a syntax similar to Java and C

Go Programming Language - Go, also called golang, is a programming language initially developed at Google in 2007 by Robert...

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