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this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Then why would you choose zig?
multi-arch compile that is getting faster by the release, sweeter & safer than C — it isn’t unsafe, mind you — why wouldn’t you pick zig for systems development? And it’s compiled bins sizzle!
Plus, there is no C interop; C just plugs in.
The grammar is still in the oven, but once it bakes, I predict zig takes over C as a perf layer in script pkgs (python, node, etc).
Compile times are crisp but some foundational elements (incremental compile etc) will help it positively fly. Already it’s smoking rust however we expect more.
The grammar is why it is one to watch.
So. Compile times?
I'm willing to have slower compile times for more stable software.
Makes for a nice call out on a slide but in reality? Are we sure? Why not both?
I think at some level you can't really get both. The rust compiler is constantly being sped up, but the amount of checking it does simply takes time.
It's the age old adage "The fastest code is the one that doesn't exist". The fastest compilation checks are the ones you don't do.
Situation is everything.
speed matters when it comes to systems-level logic/code. Zig strikes that balance very nicely.
Industry cares at the systems level. If a "safe" kernel is 4x slower (compilation, run-time) and there is an "unsafe" option that is just as secure, outside of a cadre of philosopher kings/queens (more power to 'em), practical teams will hit that ~~unsafe~~ performance boosting switch every time.
C is as safe as the situation & the code dictates. Zig makes it easier to be safe in most situations and excels at promoting systems-level safety.
App level, or app API? Where there is more of an x-factor? rust has a great use case. In "user-land", availability matters almost as much as performance.. An app that always crashes is not as valuable as a slower app that never crashes...