Compilers

Compilers: Overview — DMD — GDC — LDC ✎

DMD » Digital Mars D compiler The formal D compiler. DMD Portal »

GDC » GCC D compiler Fast and open source. GDC Portal »

LDC » LLVM D compiler Fast and open source. LDC Portal »

Also see: Experimental compilers

Which compiler should I use?

If you're a beginner DMD is the recommended choice, as it is the implementation closest to the D Language Specification. Otherwise it depends on what you need, what platforms you intend to develop for, and your personal preferences. GDC and LDC both generate substantially faster binaries than DMD.

Comparison

	DMD	GDC	LDC
Platforms	Linux Mac FreeBSD Win	Linux Mac FreeBSD Win	Linux Mac FreeBSD Win
Architectures	i386 amd64	i386 amd64	i386 amd64 ppc ppc6464
Distribution	Source, multi-platform source/binary archive, Windows installer, packages for OS X (.dmg), Debian (.deb), Fedora (.rpm), OpenSUSE (.rpm)	Source, Windows binary archive, Debian/Ubuntu repository	Source, Linux / OS X binary archive, Debian/Ubuntu repository, Fedora repository, Gentoo repository
Backend	DMD (DMC fork)	GCC	LLVM
License	Frontend: GPL 1 or later / Artistic License Backend: custom	GPL 3 or later	LDC-specific code: 3-clause BSD
Inline assembler	Yes, x86	Yes, GCC-style only (all targets)	Yes, D-style (x86) and GCC-style (all targets)
SIMD	Partial (?)	Partial (?)	Partial (?)
Linux specific
Object file format	ELF	ELF	ELF
Mac specific
Object file format	Mach-O	Mach-O	Mach-O
Windows specific
Object file format	OMF (32) / COFF (64)	COFF	COFF