Zig

lastmod 2026-05-13created 2022-05-267 edits

Zig is a general-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal, and reusable software.

How Uber uses Zig

Uber compiles C/C++ code with zig cc (bazel-zig-cc)

- Currently only in the Go Monorepo. Plans to expand to other languages that use the C/C++ toolchain
- Because it allows choosing the glibc version and cross-compiling for macOS
However, no plans to use the Zig language itself. That is, only Zig's C toolchain is used
Uber donates to the Zig Software Foundation (ZSF) and signed a bug-fix priority contract ($52800)
Strengths of zig cc
- A fully hermetic C/C++ compiler only 40MB in size. Just 1/10 of standard CLang
- Can link against the glibc version given as a command-line argument
- Host and Target are decoupled. Configuration for linux-aarch64 and darwin-x86_64 is identical regardless of host
- Linking with musl is just like choosing another libc version -target x86_64-linux-musl

Things Zig's comptime won't do | GeekNews
- [Original] Things Zig comptime Won't Do
Zig's comptime provides very powerful compile-time evaluation but is intentionally limited
Host information is inaccessible during compile-time code execution, a design suited to cross-compilation
Dynamic code generation, DSLs, RTTI, I/O, etc. are not supported; explicit type-based code specialization is used instead
RTTI can be implemented manually, but type information that exists only at compile time can be reconstructed for use at runtime
comptime can create new types but cannot extend APIs; adding user-defined methods is impossible

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