Systems Programming with Zig

Get a free eBook (PDF or ePub) from Manning as well as access to the online liveBook format (and its AI assistant that will answer your questions in any language) when you purchase the print book. 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. This book shows you how to write quality, useful Zig applications without relying on libraries or frameworks-even if you’re new systems programming. 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. 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 About the book 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. Your expert guide to Zig is Garrison Hinson-Hasty, contributor to the Zig project and its wider ecosystem. Through fun anecdotes and silly scenarios, Garrison turns systems programming from “tedious” to “terrific.” About the reader Experience in low-level languages like C, C++, and Rust is helpful, but not essential. About the author Garrison Hinson-Hasty is a cybersecurity and AI researcher with the University of Chicago SUPERgroup. He began programming with Zig in mid-2021, and has contributed to the Zig compiler, standard library, and a number of open source projects. Garrison has made a mark in the Zig community by helping programmers of all experience levels.