Using C libraries for a D program

WARNING: This crude recipe by an absolute D newbie has not yet been tested--corrections are welcome!

Assume one has the following, error-free files:

• a D language source program:

./main.d

• a C ABI shared library file:

/usr/local/lib/libbu.so

• a D language binding interface file to the C library API headers:

/usr/local/include/bu.d

We first create a GNU Makefile to build program test-bu using those three files (note the leading spaces on lines following targets must be tabs in a real GNU Makefile):

$ cat Makefile
# use the dmd compiler
DMD = /usr/bin/dmd

LIBDIR = /usr/local/brlcad/lib
MODDIR = /usr/local/brlcad/include

BINDING = $(MODDIR)/bu.d

PROG = test-bu

all: $(PROG)

$(PROG): main.o bu.o
        $(DMD) -o $@ main.o bu.o -L$(LIBDIR) -lbu
 
%.o: %.d
        $(DMD) -c $< -o $@

bu.o: $(BINDING)
        $(DMD) -c $< -o $@

clean:
        -rm $(PROG) *.o

Then we can build test-bu by executing:

$ make test-bu

The GNU Makefile can be made more general and efficient, but it should produce the desired binary program.

Note also that a fully D-supporting C library installation would probably have the D binding interface available as a pre-compiled *.o file.