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Nim (programming language) VS D (Programming Language)

Compare Nim (programming language) VS D (Programming Language) and see what are their differences

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Nim (programming language) logo Nim (programming language)

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

D (Programming Language) logo D (Programming Language)

D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.
  • Nim (programming language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31
  • D (Programming Language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

Nim (programming language) features and specs

  • Performance
    Nim compiles to C, C++, or JavaScript, which can offer performance close to languages like C and C++. This makes it suitable for high-performance applications.
  • Expressive Syntax
    Nim offers a clean and expressive syntax that is inspired by Python, making it relatively easy to write and read code, which can speed up development.
  • Metaprogramming
    Nim supports powerful metaprogramming features such as macros and templates, which allow for more flexible and reusable code.
  • Memory Management
    Nim gives developers control over memory management while also providing an efficient garbage collector, effectively balancing manual and automatic memory management.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Nim can compile code for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as the web through JavaScript.
  • Interoperability
    Nim has excellent interoperability with C and C++ code, making it easier to incorporate existing libraries and gain performance benefits.

Possible disadvantages of Nim (programming language)

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to more established languages like Python or JavaScript, Nim has a smaller community, which can lead to fewer resources, libraries, and third-party support.
  • Ecosystem Maturity
    While Nim is growing, its ecosystem is not as mature as some other languages. This can mean fewer libraries, tools, and frameworks for various tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its expressive syntax, Nim has unique features and paradigms that can present a learning curve for new developers, especially those coming from more mainstream languages.
  • Less Corporate Backing
    Nim does not have as much corporate support or adoption compared to other languages like Go or Rust, which could influence its long-term viability and industry adoption.
  • Compiler Bugs
    As a relatively young language, Nim's compiler may still have some bugs or less polished features compared to more established languages.

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.

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

Nim (programming language) videos

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D (Programming Language) videos

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D Language Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Nim (programming language) and D (Programming Language))

Nim (programming language)

D (Programming Language)

Programming Language
66 66%
Programming Language
34% 34
Generic Programming Language
70 70%
Generic Programming Language
30% 30
OOP
60 60%
OOP
40% 40
Website Builder
100 100%
Website Builder
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nim (programming language) should be more popular than D (Programming Language). It has been mentiond 152 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.

Nim (programming language) mentions (152)

  • The Top Programming Languages 2025
    Nim is a statically typed language with a syntax resembling Python's. https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 days ago
  • Why Nim?
    From a promotional marketing perspective, that webpage misses quite a few basics, like linking to the Nim site [0] and explaining what it actually does: Nim is a statically typed programming language that compiles native dependency-free executables in C, C++ or JavaScript. [0] https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Pony: An actor-model, capabilities-secure, high-performance programming language
    I think Nim has a good homepage, with some bullet points explaining what the language is all about coupled with several code examples. I'm not saying Nim is better, but I visited the page the other day and thought it was neat. https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • I built a hardware processor that runs Python
    > I'm interested to see whether the final feature set will be larger than what you'd get by creating a type-safe language with a pythonic syntax and compiling that to native, rather than building custom hardware. It almost sounds like you're asking for Nim ( https://nim-lang.org/ ); and there are some projects using it for microcontroller programming, since it compiles down to C (for ESP32, last I saw). - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Is Rust a good fit for business apps?
    I think Nim might be a good candidate. https://nim-lang.org. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
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D (Programming Language) mentions (58)

  • 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 / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: D++lang – 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 / 3 months 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 / 6 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 / over 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 / almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

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

Crystal (programming language) - Programming language with Ruby-like syntax that compiles to efficient native code.

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

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

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

Zig - Zig is a general-purpose programming language designed for robustness, optimality, and maintainability.

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

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