Zig's Lovely Syntax
14 days ago
- #programming
- #syntax
- #zig
- Zig's syntax is praised for its simplicity and clarity, especially compared to Rust.
- Integer literals in Zig have a single type, `comptime_int`, and require explicit type coercion.
- String literals in Zig avoid common issues with raw strings in other languages by treating each line as a separate token.
- Record literals in Zig use a `.{}` syntax, making field writes easily searchable.
- Zig uses prefix types and postfix dereferencing, improving readability.
- Identifiers in Zig can include spaces using `@""` syntax, avoiding keyword collisions.
- Function declarations in Zig omit the arrow (`->`) found in Rust, simplifying syntax.
- Zig uses `const` and `var` for variable declarations, with `const` being more common.
- Boolean operators in Zig are spelled as `and` and `or`, emphasizing their control flow nature.
- Zig requires explicit `return` statements and avoids the semicolon ambiguity found in Rust.
- `if` statements in Zig allow optional braces, with formatting errors caught by the compiler.
- Loops in Zig can include `else` clauses and are expressions, improving readability.
- Zig avoids variable shadowing and simplifies name resolution by requiring explicit imports.
- Zig treats everything as an expression, unifying syntax for values, types, and patterns.
- Generic types in Zig are called like functions, e.g., `ArrayList(u32)`, with no type inference.
- Zig's "Result Location Semantics" allows type coercion based on context, simplifying code.
- Built-in functions in Zig use `@` syntax, e.g., `@divExact`, providing clear, named operations.
- Zig's `@import` function is used for file imports, with a clear and simple syntax.
- Zig's syntax decisions aim for clarity, ease of reading, and minimalism, borrowing from other languages but innovating where needed.