| ... | @@ -12,25 +12,39 @@ Zig is not afraid to roll the major version number of the language if it | ... | @@ -12,25 +12,39 @@ Zig is not afraid to roll the major version number of the language if it |
| 12 | improves simplicity, fixes poor design decisions, or adds a new feature which | 12 | improves simplicity, fixes poor design decisions, or adds a new feature which |
| 13 | compromises backward compatibility. | 13 | compromises backward compatibility. |
| 14 | | 14 | |
| 15 | ## Goals | 15 | ## Existing Features |
| | 16 | |
| | 17 | * Compile units do not depend on libc unless explicitly linked. |
| | 18 | * Provides standard library which competes with the C standard library and is |
| | 19 | always compiled against statically in source form. |
| | 20 | * Pointer types do not allow the null value. Instead you can use a maybe type |
| | 21 | which has several syntactic constructs to ensure that the null pointer is |
| | 22 | not missed. |
| | 23 | * Provides an error type with several syntatic constructs which makes writing |
| | 24 | robust code convenient and straightforward. Writing correct code is easier |
| | 25 | than writing buggy code. |
| | 26 | * No header files required. Top level declarations are entirely |
| | 27 | order-independent. |
| | 28 | * Powerful constant expression evaluator. Generally, anything that *can* be |
| | 29 | figured out at compile time *is* figured out at compile time. |
| | 30 | * Tagged union enum type. No more accidentally reading the wrong union field. |
| | 31 | * Easy to parse language so that humans and machines have no trouble with the |
| | 32 | syntax. |
| | 33 | * The binaries produced by Zig have complete debugging information so you can, |
| | 34 | for example, use GDB to debug your software. |
| | 35 | * Release mode produces heavily optimized code. What other projects call |
| | 36 | "Link Time Optimization" Zig does automatically. |
| | 37 | * Supported architectures: `x86_64` |
| | 38 | * Supported operating systems: Linux |
| | 39 | |
| | 40 | ## Planned Features |
| 16 | | 41 | |
| 17 | * Completely compatible with C libraries with no wrapper necessary. | 42 | * Completely compatible with C libraries with no wrapper necessary. |
| 18 | * In addition to creating executables, creating a C library is a primary use | 43 | * In addition to creating executables, creating a C library is a primary use |
| 19 | case. You can export an auto-generated .h file. | 44 | case. You can export an auto-generated .h file. |
| 20 | * Do not depend on libc unless explicitly linked. | | |
| 21 | * Provide standard library which competes with the C standard library and is | | |
| 22 | always compiled against statically in source form. | | |
| 23 | * Generics so that one can write efficient data structures that work for any | 45 | * Generics so that one can write efficient data structures that work for any |
| 24 | data type. | 46 | data type. |
| 25 | * No null pointer. Convenient syntax for dealing with a maybe type so that | | |
| 26 | null pointer is not missed. | | |
| 27 | * An error type, combined with some syntatical constructs which makes writing | | |
| 28 | robust code convenient and straightforward. | | |
| 29 | * Eliminate the need for configure, make, cmake, etc. | 47 | * Eliminate the need for configure, make, cmake, etc. |
| 30 | * Eliminate the need for header files (when using zig internally). | | |
| 31 | * Tagged union enum type. No more accidentally reading the wrong union field. | | |
| 32 | * Easy to parse language so that humans and machines have no trouble with the | | |
| 33 | syntax. | | |
| 34 | * Eliminate the preprocessor, but (most) everything you can accomplish with | 48 | * Eliminate the preprocessor, but (most) everything you can accomplish with |
| 35 | the preprocessor, you can accomplish directly in the language. | 49 | the preprocessor, you can accomplish directly in the language. |
| 36 | * Ability to mark functions as test and automatically run them in test mode. | 50 | * Ability to mark functions as test and automatically run them in test mode. |
| ... | @@ -42,22 +56,9 @@ compromises backward compatibility. | ... | @@ -42,22 +56,9 @@ compromises backward compatibility. |
| 42 | * Shebang line OK so language can be used for "scripting" as well. | 56 | * Shebang line OK so language can be used for "scripting" as well. |
| 43 | * Debug mode optimizes for fast compilation time and crashing when undefined | 57 | * Debug mode optimizes for fast compilation time and crashing when undefined |
| 44 | behavior *would* happen. | 58 | behavior *would* happen. |
| 45 | * Release mode produces heavily optimized code. What other projects call | 59 | * Compiler exposes itself as a library. |
| 46 | "Link Time Optimization" Zig does automatically. | 60 | * Support for all popular architectures and operating systems. |
| 47 | | 61 | * Easy cross-compiling. |
| 48 | ### Current Status | | |
| 49 | | | |
| 50 | * Have a look in the example/ folder to see some code examples. | | |
| 51 | * Most language features are available, but many edge cases and errors are | | |
| 52 | not yet implemented. | | |
| 53 | * Linux x86_64 is supported. | | |
| 54 | * Building for the native target is supported. | | |
| 55 | * Optimized machine code that Zig produces is indistinguishable from | | |
| 56 | optimized machine code produced from equivalent C program. | | |
| 57 | * Zig can generate dynamic libraries, executables, object files, and C | | |
| 58 | header files. | | |
| 59 | * The binaries produced by Zig have complete debugging information so you can, | | |
| 60 | for example, use GDB to debug your software. | | |
| 61 | | 62 | |
| 62 | ## Building | 63 | ## Building |
| 63 | | 64 | |
Andrew Kelley <andrew@ziglang.org> 2016-01-26 01:39:45-07:00