Zig Best Practices

Helps you write, review, and improve idiomatic, safe, and performant Zig code. Adapt depth to the user's level — skip basics for advanced comptime questions, explain fundamentals for allocator newcomers.

How to use this skill

Read SKILL.md for quick guidance, then consult 1-2 relevant reference files as needed. Do NOT load all references at once.

Reference files — when to read each one

Reference	Read when...
references/memory-management.md	Allocators, alloc/free, defer/errdefer, arena patterns, init/deinit, FixedBufferAllocator, allocation failure testing, custom allocator wrappers.
references/error-handling.md	Error unions, try/catch, errdefer chains, specific error sets, error return traces, optional handling patterns.
references/comptime-and-generics.md	Comptime parameters, @typeInfo, generic structs, compile-time validation, lookup tables, state machines, anytype, fat pointer interfaces, type-level metaprogramming, event emitter pattern, typed EventEmitter(comptime EventEnum, comptime PayloadMap) with per-event payloads, callback storage with comptime dispatch.
references/types-and-pointers.md	Pointer types (*T, [*]T, []T, sentinels), type casting (@ptrCast, @alignCast, @bitCast, @intCast), packed structs, zero-sized types, integer overflow, saturating arithmetic (|+, |-), type coercion, anonymous structs/tuples, custom formatting with comptime fmt, HashMap key types (eql/hash/HashContext), volatile/hardware MMIO, std.atomic.Value, alignment rules, complete Color module example (format + hash + lerp + saturating blend + tests).
references/testing-and-build.md	Inline tests, table-driven tests, std.testing.allocator, coverage, build.zig, build.zig.zon, dependencies, cross-compilation, WASM target (.cpu_arch = .wasm32, .os_tag = .freestanding), custom build steps, b.addSystemCommand with addOutputFileArg for code generation, getEmitDocs for documentation, complete multi-target build.zig example (CLI + WASM + cross-compile + codegen + docs + named steps), project structure, library setup.
references/stdlib-recipes.md	Data structures (ArrayList, HashMap, LinkedList), file I/O, string handling, networking (HTTP, TCP), concurrency (threads, mutex, thread pool).
references/performance.md	SIMD/@Vector, cache-friendly layout, benchmarking, buffered I/O, arena in hot paths, build modes, comptime lookup tables, stack vs heap.
references/c-interop.md	@cImport, extern struct, C pointers, string conversion, exporting Zig to C, sentinel termination for C APIs.
references/code-review-checklist.md	Reviewing Zig code, code review, PR review, common mistakes to check for, formatting/style rules, structured review methodology.

Mandatory workflows

When writing code: completeness checklist

Before finalizing any code response, verify it includes all of the following that apply:

1. Error set definition — define specific error sets, never use anyerror in public APIs.
2. Build boilerplate — if a project is requested, include both build.zig AND build.zig.zon.
3. init/deinit pair — every struct that owns resources must have both.
4. Trait implementations — if a type will be used as a HashMap key, implement eql() and hash(). If it should be printable, implement format().
5. Doc comments — all pub functions and types must have /// doc comments.
6. Inline tests — include at minimum one test per public function using std.testing.allocator.
7. Integer overflow safety — any arithmetic on bounded integers (u8, u16, etc.) must use widening, saturating operators, or explicit overflow checks. State which approach and why.

When reviewing code: structured analysis

Review code in three mandatory passes. Do NOT skip any pass.

Pass 1 — Memory Safety:

• Every alloc has a matching free via defer
• Every fallible path after allocation has errdefer
• No global mutable allocators — allocators passed as parameters
• No dangling pointers from slices into freed memory
• No reading from undefined memory without initialization first

Pass 2 — Concurrency, Hardware, and Low-Level Safety:

• Hardware register pointers use volatile (not regular pointers)
• Thread-shared state uses std.atomic.Value or std.Thread.Mutex (NOT volatile)
• @ptrCast is always paired with @alignCast — or use std.mem.readInt for unaligned access
• Structs for hardware/binary protocols use extern struct or packed struct for guaranteed layout
• Integer overflow operators (+%, |+) are used intentionally
• undefined buffers are not read before being written

Pass 3 — API Design and Completeness:

• anyerror replaced with specific error sets
• var replaced with const wherever mutation isn't needed
• File/network I/O uses buffered readers/writers
• Public API has doc comments
• Null/optional handling is safe (no unguarded .? unwrap)

When doing arithmetic on bounded integers: overflow verification

Before finalizing code that does arithmetic on u8, u16, or any bounded integer type:

1. Write the range — what is the maximum value of each intermediate expression? (e.g., u8 * u8 max = 65025, which overflows u8 and u16 alike — needs u32.)
2. Widen before operating — promote operands to a larger type (u16, u32) before multiplication or addition that could overflow, then truncate back with @intCast.
3. Choose the right operator — default +/* for bug-catching, |+/|- for clamping (audio, color), +%/*% for intentional wrapping (hashes).
4. Never rely on implicit safety — in ReleaseFast builds overflow is undefined behavior, not a panic.

When writing comptime/pointer-heavy code: verification step

Before outputting complex comptime or low-level pointer code, mentally trace through:

1. Does every comptime block actually run at comptime? (No runtime variables in comptime context)
2. Are @setEvalBranchQuota calls needed for large iterations?
3. Do all pointer casts maintain alignment? (@ptrCast + @alignCast together)
4. Are packed struct fields accessed correctly? (Cannot take address of non-byte-aligned fields)
5. For @typeInfo(.@"struct") iteration: mentally substitute a concrete type and trace field access — does it handle all field types (u8, u16, u32, u64, i8–i64, bool, [N]u8)?
6. For serialization/deserialization: use std.mem.readInt/std.mem.writeInt with explicit endianness — never raw pointer casts for wire formats.

Compile-check step for comptime type-safety

When writing generic comptime code (event emitters, serializers, type-safe builders):

1. Draft the type signature first — write fn MyType(comptime Param: type, comptime mapFn: fn (Param) type) type before the body.
2. Verify callback/function pointer signatures — ensure *const fn (*const PayloadType) void matches what callers pass. Never use anytype for stored callbacks.
3. Check that @ptrCast/@alignCast round-trips are correct — type-erased pointers (*const anyopaque) must be cast back to the original type with matching alignment.
4. Simulate a call mentally — pick a concrete enum variant, trace the comptime function resolution, verify the callback type matches.

Constraint checklist against anytype misuse

Before using anytype in a function signature, verify:

• The function genuinely works with multiple unrelated types (not just one)
• You cannot express the constraint with a concrete type or comptime parameter
• Stored function pointers use concrete types, not anytype (you cannot store anytype)
• The doc comment documents what interface the anytype parameter must satisfy

When responding to multi-requirement prompts: requirement verification

When the prompt lists multiple requirements (numbered or bulleted), verify completeness before finalizing:

1. Label each requirement — mentally map each prompt requirement to a specific section of your code.
2. Check for missing requirements — scan the prompt again after writing code. Each requirement must have corresponding code.
3. Verify test coverage — each requirement should have at least one test exercising it.
4. For complete module requests — output a single, self-contained module (not scattered fragments). Include all imports, the type definition, all methods, and all tests in one code block.

Quick principles

1. Default to const. Only use var when you genuinely need mutation.
2. Pair every allocation with deallocation via defer. Use errdefer for cleanup that should only run on error paths.
3. Pass allocators as explicit parameters. Functions that allocate accept an Allocator — no globals, no hidden heap.
4. Errors are values. Use specific error sets, propagate with try, handle with catch. Never silently discard errors without good reason.
5. Use optionals (?T) for absence, not undefined. Reserve undefined for buffers you'll fill immediately.
6. Prefer slices ([]T) over many-item pointers ([*]T). Convert raw pointers to slices as early as possible.
7. Push work to comptime when it makes sense. But don't overuse anytype — if a concrete type works, use it.
8. Write inline tests with std.testing.allocator. It catches memory leaks automatically.
9. Run zig fmt unconditionally. No exceptions, no debates.
10. Profile before optimizing. Choose the right build mode first — it's the single biggest performance lever.