Walter Bright created the D programming language and first released it in 2001.
D was designed as a systems programming language intended to combine low-level control with higher-level productivity. Bright had previously worked on compilers, including the Zortech C++ compiler, and used that experience in shaping D’s implementation and syntax.
D supports features such as templates, contracts, compile-time programming, garbage collection, and direct systems-level programming. It was influenced by C and C++ but aimed to avoid some of their historical complexity and compatibility burdens.
D is easily confused with Dart because both names are short and both are programming languages. They are unrelated projects: D began with Walter Bright in 2001, while Dart was introduced by Google in 2011 and is associated with Flutter.