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Bright is the son of the [[United States Air Force]] pilot Charles D. Bright.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26526644 |title = on: The Complexity of a WW II P-47 Thunderbolt's Powerplant |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://generalatomic.com/jetmakers/introduction.html |title = The Jetmakers}}</ref> He taught himself computer programming from the [[type-in program]]s in ''[[BASIC Computer Games]]''.<ref name="hn28572761">{{Cite web |last=Bright |first=Walter |date=2021-09-18 |title=Basic Computer Games (1978) |url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28572761 |access-date=2021-09-27 |website=Hacker News}}</ref>
Bright is the son of the [[United States Air Force]] pilot Charles D. Bright.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26526644 |title = on: The Complexity of a WW II P-47 Thunderbolt's Powerplant |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://generalatomic.com/jetmakers/introduction.html |title = The Jetmakers}}</ref> He taught himself computer programming from the [[type-in program]]s in ''[[BASIC Computer Games]]''.<ref name="hn28572761">{{Cite web |last=Bright |first=Walter |date=2021-09-18 |title=Basic Computer Games (1978) |url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28572761 |access-date=2021-09-27 |website=Hacker News}}</ref>


Bright graduated from [[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]] in 1979 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] in aerospace engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23815636 |title = on: An aerospace engineer explains fireworks |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2020}}</ref> While at university he wrote the ''[[Empire (1977 video game)|Empire]]'' wargame for the [[PDP-10]] mainframe, completing it in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.classicempire.com/history.html |title = A Brief History of Empire |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2000 |work = Walter Bright's Empire website}}</ref>
Bright graduated from [[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]] in 1979 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] in aerospace engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23815636 |title = on: An aerospace engineer explains fireworks |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2020}}</ref> While at university he wrote the ''[[Empire (1977 video game)|Empire]]'' wargame for the [[PDP-10]] mainframe, completing it in 1977.<ref name=bright2000>{{cite web |url = http://www.classicempire.com/history.html |title = A Brief History of Empire |first = Walter|last = Bright|year = 2000 |work = Walter Bright's Empire website}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Bright developed the [[Datalight C]] compiler, also sold as Zorland C and later Zortech C.<ref name ="Zortech C++ 1991">{{Cite magazine |last= Johnston |first= Stuart |title= Zortech Simplifies 32-Bit DOS with C++ Compilers |magazine= InfoWorld | volume = 13 | issue = 23 | page =22 | publisher = InfoWorld Publishing | location = Menlo Park, CA | date = Jun 10, 1991 | issn = 0199-6649 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22}} "said Walter Bright, Zortech's directory of technology</ref>
Bright wrote [[Mattel Intellivision]] games while at Caltech, then worked as a mechanical engineer after graduation. After learning [[C (language)|C]] in the early 1980s he ported ''Empire'' to the [[IBM PC]], stating that C "might as well have been called EIL, for 'Empire Implementation Language.'"{{r|bright2000}} Bright developed the [[Datalight C]] compiler, also sold as Zorland C and later Zortech C.<ref name ="Zortech C++ 1991">{{Cite magazine |last= Johnston |first= Stuart |title= Zortech Simplifies 32-Bit DOS with C++ Compilers |magazine= InfoWorld | volume = 13 | issue = 23 | page =22 | publisher = InfoWorld Publishing | location = Menlo Park, CA | date = Jun 10, 1991 | issn = 0199-6649 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RlAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22}} "said Walter Bright, Zortech's directory of technology</ref>


Bright was the main developer of the Zortech C++ compiler (later becoming [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] C++, now [[Digital Mars]] C++), which was the first [[C++]] compiler to translate source code directly to object code without using [[C (programming language)|C]] as an intermediate.<ref name="Loder2016">{{cite book|page=xvii|last=Loder|first=Wolfgang|isbn=9781484223949|publisher=[[Apress]]|work=Erlang and Elixir for Imperative Programmers|title=Introduction|date=26 November 2016}}</ref>
Bright was the main developer of the Zortech C++ compiler (later [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] C++, now [[Digital Mars]] C++), which was the first [[C++]] compiler to translate source code directly to object code without using [[C (programming language)|C]] as an intermediate.<ref name="Loder2016">{{cite book|page=xvii|last=Loder|first=Wolfgang|isbn=9781484223949|publisher=[[Apress]]|work=Erlang and Elixir for Imperative Programmers|title=Introduction|date=26 November 2016}}</ref>


===D programming language===
===D programming language===

Revision as of 20:47, 1 February 2023

Walter Bright
Bright at ACCU 2009
Bornc. 1957 (age 66–67)
EducationCaltech (BS, 1979)
Known forD (programming language)
Empire
SpouseTrish Bright[1]
Websitewalterbright.com

Walter G. Bright is an American computer programmer who created the D programming language,[2][3] the Zortech C++ compiler, and the Empire computer game.

Early life and education

Bright is the son of the United States Air Force pilot Charles D. Bright.[4][5] He taught himself computer programming from the type-in programs in BASIC Computer Games.[6]

Bright graduated from Caltech in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering.[7] While at university he wrote the Empire wargame for the PDP-10 mainframe, completing it in 1977.[8]

Career

Bright wrote Mattel Intellivision games while at Caltech, then worked as a mechanical engineer after graduation. After learning C in the early 1980s he ported Empire to the IBM PC, stating that C "might as well have been called EIL, for 'Empire Implementation Language.'"[8] Bright developed the Datalight C compiler, also sold as Zorland C and later Zortech C.[9]

Bright was the main developer of the Zortech C++ compiler (later Symantec C++, now Digital Mars C++), which was the first C++ compiler to translate source code directly to object code without using C as an intermediate.[10]

D programming language

Bright is the creator of the D programming language. He has implemented compilers for several other languages, and is considered an expert in many areas related to compiler technology.[11] Walter regularly writes scientific and magazine articles about compilers and programming[12] and was a blogger for Dr. Dobb's Journal.[13]

Around 2014, Bright wrote Warp, a fast C/C++ preprocessor written in D, for Facebook.[14][15][2]

References

  1. ^ Bengel, Erick (2016-06-30). "Museum of Whimsy Shares Its Treasures". The Daily Astorian. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  2. ^ a b Cade Metz (7 July 2014). "The Next Big Programming Language You've Never Heard Of". Wired.
  3. ^ "Ruminations on D: An Interview with Walter Bright". 30 August 2016.
  4. ^ Bright, Walter (2021). "on: The Complexity of a WW II P-47 Thunderbolt's Powerplant".
  5. ^ "The Jetmakers".
  6. ^ Bright, Walter (2021-09-18). "Basic Computer Games (1978)". Hacker News. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  7. ^ Bright, Walter (2020). "on: An aerospace engineer explains fireworks".
  8. ^ a b Bright, Walter (2000). "A Brief History of Empire". Walter Bright's Empire website.
  9. ^ Johnston, Stuart (Jun 10, 1991). "Zortech Simplifies 32-Bit DOS with C++ Compilers". InfoWorld. Vol. 13, no. 23. Menlo Park, CA: InfoWorld Publishing. p. 22. ISSN 0199-6649. "said Walter Bright, Zortech's directory of technology
  10. ^ Loder, Wolfgang (26 November 2016). Introduction. Apress. p. xvii. ISBN 9781484223949. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  11. ^ "Lang.NEXT 2012 Expert Panel: Native Languages" Lang.Next
  12. ^ "The D Programming Language Conference 2017". D Language Foundation. 2017. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  13. ^ Binstock, Andrew (2014-12-16). "Farewell, Dr. Dobb's". Dr. Dobb's Journal. Archived from the original on 2021-09-26. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  14. ^ Larabel, Michael (2014-03-31). "Warp: Facebook Open-Sources A Super Fast C/C++ Pre-Processor". Phoronix. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  15. ^ Alexandrescu, Andrei (2014-03-28). "Under the Hood: warp, a fast C and C++ preprocessor". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
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