Systems Programming with Zig

Zig hits the sweet spot for systems programming. This new programming language is high-performance, low-level, ultra-reliable, and perfectly suited for serious projects like writing libraries, daemons and shell utilities, and even operating systems and embedded code. Systems Programming with Zig shows you how to write quality, useful Zig applications without relying on libraries or frameworks-even if you’re new systems programming.

In Systems Programming with Zig you’ll learn how to:

• Understand the Zig perspective on systems programming
• Write idiomatic Zig code
• Integrate Zig with C, systems libraries, and scripting languages
• Networking, interpreters, and graphics from the ground up

Unlike UI-centric applications that form the public face of your software, systems programs like OS kernels, device drivers, and utilities interact directly with the hardware or operating system. In these low-level programs, performance and safety are paramount. Zig is a new programming language that builds on the legacy of C, C++, and even Rust to provide a high-productivity systems programming environment that does not rely on awkward libraries and frameworks.

Systems Programming with Zig teaches you to write working, real-world code in Zig. It builds on your existing coding skills to introduce systems programming using the Zig language. You’ll explore everything from a low-level word ladder game to a CHIP-8 interpreter to a graphics engine with OpenGL. Each project is built from the ground up, with no libraries or imported frameworks! Chapter by chapter, you’ll learn how to deliver command-line utilities, networking with TCP and HTTP, interpreters, and graphics programming all through Zig’s unique lens.