The C programming language used for defining Solaris system interfaces includes a preprocessor that performs a set of initial steps in C program compilation. The C preprocessor is commonly used to define macro substitutions where one token in a C program is replaced with another predefined set of tokens, or to include copies of system header files. You can use the C preprocessor in conjunction with your D programs by specifying the dtrace C option. This option causes dtrace to first execute the cpp ( 1 ) preprocessor on your program source file and then pass the results to the D compiler. The C preprocessor is described in more detail in The C Programming Language.

The D compiler automatically loads the set of C type descriptions associated with the operating system implementation, but you can use the preprocessor to include other type definitions such as types used in your own C programs. You can also use the preprocessor to perform other tasks such as creating macros that expand to chunks of D code and other program elements. If you use the preprocessor with your D program, you may only include files that contain valid D declarations. Typical C header files include only external declarations of types and symbols, which will be correctly interpreted by the D compiler. The D compiler cannot parse C header files that include additional program elements like C function source code and will produce an appropriate error message.