Zig in 100 Seconds

Summary

This video provides a quick overview of the Zig programming language, a high-performance alternative to C, created by Andrew Kelly in 2016. It highlights Zig's minimalistic design, low-level memory control, and absence of hidden memory allocations. Key features include its allocator system for memory management, the comp-time keyword for running code at compile time, and the explicit error handling. Zig also integrates seamlessly with C and C++, and supports cross-compilation. The video concludes by showing how to build a simple project and run tests using Zig’s tools.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Zig is a high-performance system programming language created by Andrew Kelly in 2016.
• 🔧 It's designed as a next-generation alternative to C, offering similar performance with enhanced features.
• ⚙️ Zig is minimal, extremely fast, and allows for low-level memory control without direct memory management functions like malloc and free.
• 🔗 The Zig standard library includes allocators for consistent memory management across different architectures.
• 🛡️ Zig is not a memory-safe language like Rust or Go, but it avoids hidden memory allocations for more explicit and portable code.
• 🔄 It supports easy swapping of allocators to target various architectures such as x86, ARM, WebAssembly, and bare metal.
• 🚫 Zig does not feature operator overloading or exceptions, promoting explicit error handling through return values.
• 🛠️ The 'comptime' keyword enables running code at compile time, eliminating the need for preprocessors or macros.
• 🔄 Zig can be integrated into C or C++ codebases and supports cross-compilation with LLVM out of the box.
• 📝 The script demonstrates basic Zig syntax, including variable declaration, struct usage, memory allocation, and error handling with 'defer' and 'try'.

Q & A

What is Zig and why is it considered a next-generation alternative to C?

Zig is a high-performance system programming language created by Andrew Kelly in 2016. It is considered a next-generation alternative to C due to its minimalism, extreme speed, and low-level memory control capabilities, similar to C, but with a more modern approach to memory management and other features.

How does Zig handle memory management differently from C?

Unlike C, Zig does not manage memory directly with functions like malloc and free. Instead, it uses allocators from the standard library to provide a consistent interface for memory management, allowing for more explicit and portable code.

Is Zig a memory-safe language like Rust or Go?

No, Zig is not a memory-safe language like Rust or Go. However, it does not have any hidden memory allocations, making the code more explicit and portable.

What is unique about Zig's approach to control flow?

Zig has no hidden control flow. If something looks like a function and behaves like a function, it is a function. There is no operator overloading, and exceptions are not present; instead, functions must return explicit error values if they can fail.

What does the 'comptime' keyword in Zig allow developers to do?

The 'comptime' keyword in Zig allows developers to run code at compile time instead of runtime, eliminating the need for a preprocessor or macros.

How can Zig integrate with existing C or C++ codebases?

Zig can integrate well into C or C++ codebases and supports cross-compilation out of the box with LLVM, making it easier to work with existing projects and target different architectures.

What is the significance of the exclamation point in a Zig function return type?

In Zig, a function return type with an exclamation point indicates that the function might return an error, which is part of the language's explicit error handling approach.

How does Zig's 'defer' keyword help with memory management?

The 'defer' keyword in Zig allows code to be executed automatically when it goes out of scope, which is useful for ensuring that memory is de-allocated and resources are cleaned up properly, preventing memory leaks.

What is the purpose of the 'try' keyword in Zig?

The 'try' keyword in Zig provides explicit error handling. If a line of code that uses 'try' fails, it will catch and return the error, ensuring that errors cannot be ignored and making the code more reliable.

How does Zig support testing within the language?

Zig has a built-in testing framework. Developers can use the 'test' keyword to evaluate code outside of the main program, and then run the tests using the 'zig test' command.

What build modes are available in Zig for optimizing executables?

Zig offers build modes to optimize for speed, size, or safety when building executables, allowing developers to choose the most appropriate optimization based on their project's needs.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Introduction to Zig Programming Language

Zig is a high-performance, next-generation programming language created by Andrew Kelly in 2016, designed as an alternative to C. It is known for its minimalism, speed, and low-level memory control. Unlike C, Zig uses allocators from its standard library for memory management, avoiding direct memory management functions like malloc and free. Zig is not memory safe like Rust or Go, but it is explicit and portable due to the ability to swap allocators for different architectures, including x86, ARM, WebAssembly, and bare metal. The language lacks operator overloading and exceptions, requiring explicit error handling. Zig's unique comp-time keyword allows for compile-time execution of code, and it integrates well with C and C++ codebases. It supports cross-compilation with LLVM and can be started by installing Zig and using the zignet command to create a new project.

Keywords

💡Zig

Zig is a high-performance programming language designed as a next-generation alternative to C. It was created by Andrew Kelly in 2016 and has gained popularity for its efficiency and control over low-level memory management. The language is known for being minimal, extremely fast, and allowing for explicit memory control, which is a core theme of the video as it differentiates Zig from other languages like Rust or Go.

💡Memory Management

Memory management in Zig is handled through allocators provided by the standard library, rather than direct memory management functions like malloc and free in C. This approach allows for a consistent interface and the flexibility to swap allocators for different architectures, which is highlighted in the video as a significant feature of Zig, emphasizing its adaptability and control.

💡Allocators

Allocators in Zig are used for managing memory allocation and deallocation. The video script mentions that Zig's standard library ships with allocators, which can be easily swapped out in the code to target different architectures. This showcases the language's flexibility and the importance of allocators in achieving cross-platform compatibility.

💡Memory Safe

The term 'memory safe' refers to a language feature that prevents memory-related errors such as buffer overflows and dangling pointers. Zig is not a memory-safe language like Rust or Go, but it does not have hidden memory allocations, which makes the code more explicit and portable. This is a key point in the video that sets Zig apart in terms of its approach to memory safety and error handling.

💡Control Flow

Control flow in programming refers to the order in which individual statements, instructions, or function calls of an imperative program are executed. Zig has no hidden control flow, meaning that functions are explicit and do not have implicit behavior like operator overloading or exceptions. This is emphasized in the video as a feature that makes Zig's code more predictable and reliable.

💡Error Handling

Error handling in Zig is explicit, with functions that can fail returning an error value. The 'try' keyword in Zig is used for error handling, as demonstrated in the video script, ensuring that errors are caught and returned, rather than ignored. This approach contributes to the reliability and robustness of Zig programs.

💡Comp Time

Comp time in Zig refers to the ability to execute code at compile time, which is a unique feature of the language. The video mentions the 'comptime' keyword, which allows for operations that would typically be done at runtime to be performed at compile time, improving performance and enabling metaprogramming techniques.

💡Cross Compilation

Cross compilation is the process of compiling code for a different platform than the one on which the compiler is running. Zig supports cross-compilation out of the box with LLVM, as mentioned in the video. This feature is crucial for developers targeting multiple architectures or platforms with a single codebase.

💡Zig Build

The 'zig build' command, as mentioned in the video, is used to compile Zig code into an executable. It allows developers to choose different build modes to optimize for speed, size, or safety, which is an important aspect of the language's flexibility and performance tuning capabilities.

💡Testing Framework

Zig includes a built-in testing framework, which is highlighted in the video script. The 'test' keyword is used to evaluate code outside of the main program, and the 'zig test' command is used to run these tests. This feature is essential for ensuring the quality and reliability of Zig programs through automated testing.

Highlights

Zig is a high-performance system programming language.

Created by Andrew Kelly in 2016.

Evolved into one of the most desired new languages.

Minimal, extremely fast, and allows low-level memory control.

Memory management is handled by allocators in the Zig standard library.

Not a memory-safe language like Rust or Go.

No hidden memory allocations, making code more explicit and portable.

Supports targeting different architectures with ease.

No hidden control flow, functions are explicit.

No operator overloading or exceptions.

Functions must return explicit error values on failure.

Unique comp time keyword for compile-time execution.

No need for preprocessor or macros.

Can integrate well into C or C++ codebases.

Supports cross-compilation with LLVM out of the box.

Installation and project creation with zignet exe command.

Main function returns a type of void with an exclamation point indicating potential error return.

Use VAR keyword for mutable variables and CONS for immutable ones.

Structs allow bundling multiple variables together.

Memory is managed using allocators from the standard library.

Defer keyword for automatic de-initialization of allocated memory.

Try keyword for explicit error handling.

Built-in testing framework for reliability.

Build executables with zig build command and choose optimization modes.

Transcripts

[Music]

Zig a high performance system

programming language often labeled as a

Next Generation alternative to C it was

created by Andrew Kelly in 2016 and has

quickly evolved into one of the most

desired new languages in the world like

C it's minimal extremely fast and allows

for low-level memory control but instead

of managing memory directly in the

language with functions like Malik and

free the zig standard Library ships

allocators to provide a consistent

interface for memory management Zig is

not a memory safe language like rust or

go but it doesn't have any hidden memory

allocations making the code far more

explicit and portable because allocators

can be easily swapped out in the code to

Target different architectures like x86

arm webassembly and bare metal in

addition Zig has no hidden control flow

if it looks like a function and quacks

like a function it's a function there's

no operator overloading and it doesn't

even have exceptions if a function can

fail it needs to return an explicit

error value the language also has a

unique comp time keyword that makes it

trivial to run Kodak compile time

instead of runtime no preprocessor or

macros are necessary and finally Zig can

integrate well into a c or C plus plus

code base and supports cross compilation

out of the box with llvm although

divorce paperwork has been filed to get

started install Zig then create a new

project with the zignet exe command in

the main file first to import the

standard library then Define a main

function notice how the function returns

a type of void with an exclamation point

that exclamation point means that the

function might return an error declare a

mutable variable with the VAR keyword

followed by a type like you wait to

represent a single byte then assign and

modify its value later or use cons to

Define an immutable variable that cannot

be changed we can also bundle multiple

variables together into a struct then

access them on that namespace with DOT

notation now things start to get more

interesting when memory management comes

into play when initializing an array of

integers we can allocate it to a slice

of memory in the Heap using the built-in

page allocator from the standard Library

what's so cool about this is that we

could swap it out with other allocators

to use different memory management

strategies now when we're done with this

memory we need to set it free otherwise

we could have a memory leak the defer

keyword allows us to put that code right

right next to the allocation itself and

will automatically de-initialize the

list when it goes out of scope now as we

operate on the list the try keyword

provides explicit error handling if this

line fails it will automatically catch

and return the error you can't just

ignore it and that will make your code

more reliable and speaking of

reliability Zig has a built-in testing

framework use the test keyword to

evaluate code outside of the main

program then use the zig test command to

run it and finally build an executable

with the zig build command and choose a

build mode to optimize for Speed size or

safety this has been the zig programming

language in 100 seconds hit the like

button if you want to see more short

videos like this thanks for watching and

I will see you in the next one

[Music]