zig

Zig Programming Language

Entry point for Zig development. Provides an overview and routes to focused skills.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when:

• Starting a new Zig project
• Needing a general overview of Zig capabilities
• Unsure which specific Zig skill to load

Available Skills

This plugin provides focused skills for specific Zig topics:

• zig:language - Core language: comptime, error handling, data types, slices, defer
• zig:build - Build system: build.zig, cross-compilation, dependencies, CI
• zig:allocators - Memory management: allocator types, patterns, leak detection
• zig:testing - Built-in test framework, test allocator, build integration
• zig:c-interop - C interoperability: @cImport, type mappings, translate-c, linking
• zig:troubleshooting - Common errors, debugging, runtime panics, memory issues

Quick Start

# Install via mise
mise use zig@0.14

# Create a new project
mkdir myproject && cd myproject
zig init

See templates/mise.toml for project task definitions.

Key Principles

• No hidden control flow: if code does not look like it calls a function, it does not
• No hidden memory allocations: allocators are explicit parameters
• No preprocessor, no macros: comptime replaces both
• Explicit over implicit: be clear about allocations, errors, ownership
• Performance and safety: both achievable without compromise
• C ecosystem integration: use existing C libraries without depending on libc
• Cross-compilation first-class: target any platform from any platform