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.

Writing software that has direct control over a computer’s hardware can be powerful and rewarding. For many years, developers used languages like C, but managing safety and memory can be difficult. Newer languages like Rust improve safety, but they can be hard to learn. Zig is a modern language that offers control with simplicity. It helps you build fast and reliable applications without unnecessary complexity. 

• Learn to write useful command-line tools that you can use every day. 

• Look inside how programming languages work by building your own simple interpreter. 

• Discover how to create fast and reliable network programs that run in the background. 

• Build software libraries that you and other developers can share and reuse. 

• Understand how to write safer code without a complex borrow checker. 

• See how you can use Zig to work with and improve your existing C projects. 

Systems Programming with Zig is a practical, project-based guide that teaches you how to write powerful software. It takes you through hands-on projects, starting with the basics and gradually building to more advanced tasks. You will create useful tools such as shell utilities, a language interpreter and simple network applications. 

After reading this book, you will be confident in building efficient and reliable software. You will understand how to approach problems in a clear and structured way using Zig. This book is for developers at different levels. Experience with low-level programming languages like C, C++ and Rust is helpful, but not required.