HomeCoursesAdvanced Programming Techniques in D

5.0

Intermediate

30h

Updated 6 months ago

Advanced Programming Techniques in D

Gain insights into lifetimes, structs, function overloading, and inheritance. Delve into templates, pointers, memory management. Discover advanced D concepts to elevate your programming skills.

Join 2.7 million developers at

Overview

Content

Reviews

D is a multi-paradigm programming language that combines a wide range of powerful programming concepts from the lowest to the highest levels. It emphasizes memory safety, program correctness, and pragmatism. This course will teach you advanced D concepts, so it’s recommended to get the basics down. In this course, you will start by learning lifetimes, structs, function overloading, and inheritance, all crucial concepts for advanced D developers. In the second half of the course, you will learn about templates, pointers, memory management, and more. If you’re looking to take your D programming to the next level, then this course will find you well. By the end of this course, you will be well equipped to take your D experience and start creating your own applications.

D is a multi-paradigm programming language that combines a wide range of powerful programming concepts from the lowest to the hi...Show More

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Learning about lifetimes of variables and type conversions

Understanding the concepts related to structs, classes and interfaces

Learning the use of templates

Learning about ranges

Understanding parallelism in D

Learning about lifetimes of variables and type conversions

Content

293 Lessons33 Quizzes8 Challenges

Introduction

1 Lessons

Get familiar with advanced D programming concepts like lifetimes, structs, and contract programming.

What to Expect

Lifetimes, null Value and the is Operator

6 Lessons

Walk through managing variable lifetimes, fundamental operations, null values, and the is operator in D.

Lifetimes

Fundamental Operations

Null Value & is Operator

Assigning the null Value

Summary

Quiz on Lifetimes, null Values and is Operator

Type Conversions

6 Lessons

Examine type conversions in D, including automatic to explicit conversions, for safe operations.

Automatic Type Conversions

Arithmetic and Slice Conversions

const, enum, immutable, and bool Conversions

Explicit Type Conversions

Summary

Quiz on Type Conversions

Structs

7 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of struct creation, copying, literals, and practical applications in D.

Definition of Structs

Construction

Copying and Assignment

Struct Literals and Static Members

Challenge: Lets Play Cards

Solution: Lets Play Cards

Quiz on Structs

Variable Number of Parameters

7 Lessons

Solve problems in creating flexible functions with default and variadic arguments.

Default Arguments

Special Keywords as Default Arguments

Variadic Functions

Variadic Function Arguments Lifetime

Challenge: Perform the Calculation

Solution: Perform the Calculation

Quiz on Default Arguments and Variadic Functions

Function Overloading and Member Functions

9 Lessons

See how it works: function overloading, member functions, and managing const behaviors in D.

Function Overloading and Overload Resolution

Function Overloading for User-Defined Types

Challenge: Overload a Function

Solution: Overload a Function

Member Functions

Member Function Example

const ref Parameters

const and inout Member Functions

Quiz on Functions Overloading and Member Functions

Constructor and Other Special Functions

10 Lessons

Build on constructors, destructors, postblit adjustments, and assignment operators in D programming.

Constructor: Introduction

Compiler-Generated Constructor

User-Defined Constructors and the Use of static opCall()

Constructor Qualifiers

Immutability and Type Conversions

Operator Overloading

15 Lessons

Learn how to use operator overloading for custom behaviors and intuitive programming in D.

Learn Operator Overloading

Overloadable Operators

Element Indexing and Slicing Operators

Defining Multiple Operators

Return Types of Operators

opDispatch() and opBinaryRight()

Challenge: Make the Unit Tests Pass

Solution: Make the Unit Tests Pass

Quiz on Operator Overloading

Introduction to Classes

7 Lessons

Look at how classes in D offer object-oriented features, reference type behavior, and strict copying/assignment rules.

Comparing With Structs

Copying and Assignment

Definition, Construction, and Destruction

Member Access and Member Functions

The is and !is Operator

Summary

Quiz on Classes

10.

Inheritance

11 Lessons

Master the steps to create specialized subclasses, override functions, and handle abstract classes in D.

Introduction

Inheritance Hierarchy

Superclass Members

Overriding the Definitions of Member Functions

Using the Subclass in Place of the Superclass

Abstract Member Functions and Abstract Classes

Example

Challenge: Implement Inheritance Hierarchy

Solution: Implement Inheritance Hierarchy

Summary

Quiz on Inheritance

11.

The Object Class

7 Lessons

Find out about essential member functions of the Object class in D.

typeid and TypeInfo

toString and opEquals

opCmp

toHash

Challenge: Implement opEquals Function for a Class

Solution: Implement opEquals Function for a Class

Quiz on Object

12.

Interfaces

7 Lessons

Solve problems in D with interface inheritance, static and final functions, and abstraction.

Interface Inheritance

static Member Functions

final Member Functions

13.

destroy and scoped

4 Lessons

Focus on advanced resource management techniques in D using `destroy()` and `scoped()`.

destroy()

destroy() Example

scoped()

Quiz on destroy( ) and scoped()

14.

Modules and Libraries

4 Lessons

Practice using modules, imports, and libraries to build structured and efficient D programs.

Module

Importing Modules

Libraries

Quiz on Modules and Libraries

15.

Encapsulation and Protection Attributes

5 Lessons

Learn how to use encapsulation and protection attributes for safe and efficient coding.

Encapsulation

Protection Attributes

Module Imports and the Use of Encapsulation

Example of Encapsulation in D

Quiz on Encapsulation and Protection Attributes

16.

UFCS, Properties and Contract Programming

8 Lessons

Grasp UFCS, properties, and contract programming principles for cleaner, more consistent code.

Universal Function Call Syntax

Properties

Property Functions

Use of Properties

Preconditions and Postconditions

invariant Blocks

Contract Inheritance

Quiz on UFCS , Properties and Contract Programming

17.

Templates

9 Lessons

Examine the creation and application of templates in D for scalable, type-independent code tasks.

Introduction

Function Templates

Type Deduction and Explicit Type Specification

Template Instantiation and Template Specializations

Struct and Class Templates

Default Template Parameters and Template Instantiation

Class Template Example

Function Template Example

Quiz on Templates

18.

Pragmas, alias and with

9 Lessons

Break down complex ideas of pragmas, aliasing, and the "with" statement in D programming.

pragma(msg) and pragma(lib)

pragma(inline)

pragma(startaddress) and pragma(mangle)

alias: Shortening a Long Name

alias: Design Flexibility

alias: Revealing Hidden Names of Superclasses

alias this

with

Quiz on Pragmas, alias and with

19.

Pointers

14 Lessons

Take a closer look at pointers, their syntax, operations, and practical applications in D.

The Concept of a Reference

Syntax

Pointer Value and the Address-of Operator &

The Access Operator and the Dot Operator

Modifying the Value of a Pointer

Use of Pointers with Arrays

void* Pointers and Pointers in Logical Expressions

Use of new, .ptr and in Operator with Pointers

When to Use Pointers

Example: A Simple Linked List

Example: Observing the Contents of Memory by ubyte*

Challenge: Swap the Numbers

Solution: Swap the Numbers

Quiz on Pointers

20.

Bit Operations

13 Lessons

Tackle data representation, binary and hexadecimal systems, bit operations, and common uses with challenges and solutions.

Representation of data at the lowest level

Binary Number System

Hexadecimal Number System

Bit Operations

Semantics

Common Uses

Challenge: Convert ipv4 Address to its Dotted Form

Solution: Convert ipv4 Address to its Dotted Form

Challenge: Convert Four Octet Values to the Corresponding 32-bit

Solution: Convert Four Octet Values to the Corresponding 32-bit

Challenge: Make a Mask of Specified Width

Solution: Make a Mask of Specified Width

Quiz on Bit Operations

21.

Conditional Compilation

9 Lessons

Master the steps to conditional compilation, enhancing flexibility, debugging, and platform-specific code in D.

Introduction

debug

version(tag) and version(level)

static(if), static(assert) and Type Traits

is Expression

is (T == Specifier)

is (T identifier == Specifier)

is (/* ... */ Specifier, TemplateParamList)

Quiz on Conditional Compilation

22.

Function Pointers, Delegates, and Lambdas

8 Lessons

Break down function pointers, delegates, and lambdas to enhance your programming techniques.

Function Pointers

Function Pointer as a Parameter & a Member

Anonymous Functions

Delegates

Delegate Properties, Lazy Parameters & Lazy Variadic Functions

`toString()` with a Delegate Parameter

Chapter Summary

Quiz on Function Pointers, Delegates, and Lambdas

23.

foreach with Structs and Classes

7 Lessons

Walk through iteration and struct design in D for custom loops and nested elements.

foreach Support by Range Member Functions

opApply & opApplyReverse Member Functions

Loop Counter

Challenge: Designing a NumberRange Struct

Solution: Design a NumberRange Struct

Nested Functions, Structs, and Classes

Quiz on Use of foreach with Struct and Classes

24.

Unions, Labels, goto and Tuples

8 Lessons

Examine unions, labels, goto, and tuples for efficient memory, control flow, and versatile data handling.

Unions

Anonymous Unions and Dissecting Other Members

Tuples: .tupleof property

Quiz on Unions, Labels, goto, and Tuples

25.

More Templates

14 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of D's comprehensive template system for flexible, efficient code generation.

The Shortcut Syntax

Kinds of Templates

Template Parameters: Type and Value

Template Parameters: this and alias

Template Parameters: Tuple

typeof Varieties

Template Specializations and Meta Programming

Compile-Time Polymorphism and Code Bloat

Template Constraints

Named Template Constraints

Using Templates in Multi-Dimensional Operator Overloading

Multi-Dimensional Operator Overloading Example

Summary

Quiz on Templates

26.

More Functions

8 Lessons

Deepen your knowledge of function attributes, safety, and compile-time execution in D.

Return Type Attributes: auto and ref

Return Type Attributes: auto ref and inout

Behavioral Attributes: pure

Behavioral Attributes: nothrow and @nogc

Code Safety Attributes

Compile Time Function Execution (CTFE)

Summary

Quiz on Functions

27.

Mixins

7 Lessons

Follow the process of using mixins in D for flexible code generation and scope management.

Template Mixins

String Mixins

Mixin Name Spaces

Mixins in Operator Overloading and Destructors

Importing Text Files

Example

Quiz on Mixins

28.

Ranges

19 Lessons

Build on ranges to enhance data handling and flexibility in D programming.

Introduction and History

Use of Ranges in D

Phobos Ranges

InputRange

Use of Slices as Ranges

Decoding of Strings as Ranges of dchar

Ranges Without Actual Elements

Infinite Ranges and Functions that Return Ranges

std.range and std.algorithm Modules

ForwardRange and BidirectionalRange

RandomAccessRange: Infinite

RandomAccessRange: Finite

OutputRange

Using Slices as OutputRange

Range Kind Templates

ElementType and Other Range Templates

Run-time Polymorphism with Ranges

Summary

Quiz on Ranges

29.

static foreach and Parallelism

11 Lessons

Step through static foreach and parallelism for efficient, parallelized code execution in D.

Exception Catching and Member Functions of Task

taskPool.asyncBuf()

taskPool.map() and taskPool.amap()

taskPool.reduce()

Tuple Results with Multiple functions and TaskPool

Summary

Quiz on static foreach and Parallelism

30.

Message Passing Concurrency

12 Lessons

Walk through message passing concurrency in D, focusing on threads, messages, and exception handling.

Message Passing: Example

Expecting Different Types of Messages

Exceptions During the Execution of the Worker

Detecting Thread Termination

Mailbox Management

Priority Messages and Thread Names

Summary

Quiz on Message Passing Concurrency

31.

Data Sharing Concurrency

6 Lessons

Examine data sharing, race conditions, synchronization, atomic operations, and concurrency in D programming.

Sharing Data Between Threads

A Race Condition Example

Using synchronized to Avoid Race Conditions

static this() and Atomic Operations

Summary

Quiz on Data Sharing Concurrency

32.

Fibers

9 Lessons

Enhance your skills in managing state and execution flow using fibers for efficient concurrency.

Call Stack

Usage

Fibers in Range Implementations

Presenting Fibers as Ranges

Fibers in Asynchronous Input and Output

Exceptions and Fibers

Cooperative Multitasking

Summary

Quiz on Fibers

33.

Memory Management

10 Lessons

Take a closer look at memory management techniques, garbage collection, allocation, and alignment in D programming.

Memory

The Garbage Collector

Allocating Memory

Memory Block Attributes

Alignment: The .alignof Property

Alignment: The .offsetof Property

Constructing Variables at Specific Memory Locations

Construction and Destructions of Objects

Summary

Quiz on Memory Management

34.

User Defined Attributes (UDA) and Operator Precedence

5 Lessons

Follow the process of using UDAs for flexible programming and understanding operator precedence.

User-Defined Attributes (UDA)

UDA Example

The Benefit of UDA

Operator Precedence

Quiz on UDA and Operator Precedence

35.

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Congratulations on mastering advanced D programming techniques, from fundamental to parallelism.

Wrap Up!

Certificate of Completion

Showcase your accomplishment by sharing your certificate of completion.

Course Author:

Ali Çehreli

Developed by MAANG Engineers

Every Educative resource is designed by our in-house team of ex-MAANG software engineers and PhD computer science educators — subject matter experts who’ve shipped production code at scale and taught the theory behind it. The goal is to get you hands-on with the skills you need to stay ahead in today's constantly evolving tech landscape. No videos, no fluff — just interactive, project-based learning with personalized feedback that adapts to your goals and experience.

Trusted by 2.7 million developers working at companies

"These are high-quality courses. Trust me. I own around 10 and the price is worth it for the content quality. EducativeInc came at the right time in my career. I'm understanding topics better than with any book or online video tutorial I've done. Truly made for developers. Thanks"

Anthony Walker

@_webarchitect_

"Just finished my first full #ML course: Machine learning for Software Engineers from Educative, Inc. ... Highly recommend!"

Evan Dunbar

ML Engineer

"You guys are the gold standard of crash-courses... Narrow enough that it doesn't need years of study or a full blown book to get the gist, but broad enough that an afternoon of Googling doesn't cut it."

Software Developer

Carlos Matias La Borde

"I spend my days and nights on Educative. It is indispensable. It is such a unique and reader-friendly site"

Souvik Kundu

Front-end Developer

"Your courses are simply awesome, the depth they go into and the breadth of coverage is so good that I don't have to refer to 10 different websites looking for interview topics and content."

Vinay Krishnaiah

Software Developer

Hands-on Learning Powered by AI

See how Educative uses AI to make your learning more immersive than ever before.

Personalized Interview Prep

Skip the LeetCode grind with a custom roadmap that adapts to your goals. Hands-on practice for Coding Interviews, System Design, and more.

Mock Interviews

Test your skills in a simulated interview setting. Receive personalized feedback based on your performance. Available for Coding Interviews, System Design, and more.

AI Prompt

Build prompt engineering skills. Practice implementing AI-informed solutions.

Code Feedback

Evaluate and debug your code with the click of a button. Get real-time feedback on test cases, including time and space complexity of your solutions.

Explain with AI

Select any text within any Educative course, and get an instant explanation — without ever leaving your browser.

AI Code Mentor

AI Code Mentor helps you quickly identify errors in your code, learn from your mistakes, and nudge you in the right direction — just like a 1:1 tutor!

Course

Embedded Programming with Modern C++

Gain insights into using Modern C++ for embedded programming. Learn about safety-critical systems, optimize performance, manage limited resources, and handle parallel execution effectively.

20 h

intermediate

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Python

Gain insights into writing cleaner, modular, and scalable Python code through Object-Oriented Programming. Dive into inheritance, polymorphism, and more with coding challenges and illustrations.

6 h

intermediate

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Java

Explore the fundamentals of OOP in Java. Gain insights into inheritance, polymorphism, and more to write clean, modular, reusable code through interactive exercises and practical challenges.

6 h

intermediate

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in C#

Gain insights into OOP with C#. Delve into practical coding examples and exercises, exploring OOP concepts through a real-world vending machine project to understand and apply them effectively.

9 h

intermediate

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in C#

Gain insights into OOP with C#. Delve into practical coding examples and exercises, exploring OOP concepts through a real-world vending machine project to understand and apply them effectively.

9 h

intermediate

Course

Programming in D: The Ultimate Guide for Software Engineers

Gain insights into D programming by exploring variables, loops, and advanced topics such as functions and unit testing. Discover how to build applications using this versatile language.

15 h

beginner

Course

C++ Fundamentals for Professionals

Gain insights into professional C++ with essential C++17 standards. Learn about memory management, inheritance, templates, threads, and more to optimize performance and ensure high safety.

23 h

beginner

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Python

Gain insights into writing cleaner, modular, and scalable Python code through Object-Oriented Programming. Dive into inheritance, polymorphism, and more with coding challenges and illustrations.

6 h

intermediate

Course

Embedded Programming with Modern C++

intermediate

20 hour

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Python

intermediate

6 hour

Course

Learn Object-Oriented Programming in Java