Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Objective-C VS D (Programming Language)

Compare Objective-C VS D (Programming Language) and see what are their differences

Objective-C logo Objective-C

The primary programming language you use when writing software for OS X and iOS

D (Programming Language) logo D (Programming Language)

D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.
  • Objective-C Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-28

We recommend LibHunt Objective-C for discovery and comparisons of trending Objective-C projects.

  • D (Programming Language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09

Objective-C features and specs

  • Mature Language
    Objective-C has been around since the 1980s, which means it has a long history of use in Apple's ecosystem, leading to a wealth of documentation, resources, and a stable, well-understood language.
  • Dynamic Runtime
    Objective-C's dynamic runtime allows for a high level of flexibility, such as dynamically loading classes and methods, which can be beneficial in certain programming scenarios requiring runtime adjustments.
  • C Compatibility
    Objective-C is a superset of C, which means it retains all functionalities of C, allowing low-level manipulation and the ability to integrate existing C libraries easily.
  • Rich Library Support
    With strong ties to Apple's ecosystem, Objective-C has extensive support for native libraries like Cocoa and Cocoa Touch, enabling efficient iOS and macOS application development.
  • Proven Track Record
    Many successful applications have been built using Objective-C, illustrating its capabilities in handling complex and large-scale applications.

Possible disadvantages of Objective-C

  • Complex Syntax
    The syntax of Objective-C can be verbose and complex compared to modern languages, leading to a steeper learning curve for new developers.
  • Limited Adoption Outside Apple Ecosystem
    Objective-C is primarily used within Apple's ecosystem, limiting its applicability and adoption in other platforms or general software development.
  • Lack of Modern Features
    Compared to newer programming languages like Swift, Objective-C lacks some modern programming features such as type safety, which can lead to more runtime errors.
  • Memory Management
    Although ARC (Automatic Reference Counting) has simplified memory management, developers still have to be conscientious about memory usage compared to simpler garbage-collected environments.
  • Performance Considerations
    The dynamic nature of Objective-C can introduce performance overhead, as dynamic message sending is slower compared to static method calls in languages like Swift.

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

Objective-C videos

Welcome to Objective-C for Swift Devs!

D (Programming Language) videos

D Language Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Objective-C and D (Programming Language))
Programming Language
27 27%
73% 73
OOP
30 30%
70% 70
Development
40 40%
60% 60
Generic Programming Language

User comments

Share your experience with using Objective-C and D (Programming Language). 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) seems to be more popular. 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.

Objective-C mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Objective-C yet. Tracking of Objective-C recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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 / 3 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 – 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
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Objective-C and D (Programming Language), 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

Perl - Highly capable, feature-rich programming language with over 26 years of development

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

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.

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