# Simple code examples in Zig, for beginners **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [March 17, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558 "2023-03-17T13:16:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/1 "2023-03-17T13:16:02Z")
Being a inexperienced C programmer, I would like to learn Zig replicating many exercises of C tutorials in Zig. But I can’t get information for the most basic coding, like, reading a keyboard entry or reading and writing to a file, in Zig. Where do I find basic code examples? I am thinking in the line of the K&R C programming book. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![jiacai2050](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/jiacai2050/32/3657_2.png) [@jiacai2050](https://ziggit.dev/u/jiacai2050)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/2 "2023-03-18T02:29:35Z")
Good question, After quick googling, I find [https://zig-by-example.com/](https://zig-by-example.com/), although there aren’t too many demos, and may outdated, but I think it’s a good start, also you can contribute your learning to it. - [GitHub - ibokuri/zig-by-example: Zig by Example](https://github.com/ibokuri/zig-by-example) ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/3 "2023-03-18T03:10:24Z")
Thank you! In spite being small, those code snippets are exactly what I need to find my way in Zig. As soon as I succeed to run the book examples I will publish them. Regards. ---
**Author:** ![kristoff](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/kristoff/32/9_2.png) [@kristoff](https://ziggit.dev/u/kristoff)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 9:27am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/4 "2023-03-20T09:27:35Z")
The _Learn_ section on the official Zig website offers links to some resources. I would recommend checking out ZigLearn. [https://ziglang.org/learn/](https://ziglang.org/learn/) ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 12:44pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/5 "2023-03-20T12:44:55Z")
Thank you, kristoff. I am studying it already. Best regards. ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/6 "2023-03-20T18:04:26Z")
I am painstakingly crawling through many code examples, and stumbling almost every time I try to run something. Last time I copyed this code from Ziglearn Chapter 1: ```zig > const std = @import("std"); > const print = std.debug.print; > const expect = @import("std").testing.expect; > > pub fn main() anyerror!void { > > test "if statement" { > const a = true; > var x: u16 = 0; > if (a) { > x += 1; > } else { > x += 2; > } > try expect(x == 1); > } > > } ``` “zig run” and “zig test” produce the same output: PS D:\Programas\K&R&Zig\Cap1ConversorTemp\> zig test IfC1.zig IfC1.zig:7:1: error: expected statement, found ‘test’ test “if statement” { ^~~~ Can anyone explain to me, or, tell me were to find information? i followed the examples by the letter, but Zig is evolving fast, may those codes are outdated. Any information will be highly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/gonzo/32/54_2.png) [@gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/u/gonzo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/7 "2023-03-20T22:17:06Z")
Drop the function declaration and the closing brace. A test defines its own “function-like” scope. ```ts test "if statement" { const a = true; var x: u16 = 0; if (a) { x += 1; } else { x += 2; } try expect(x == 1); } ``` ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/8 "2023-03-21T01:57:30Z")
Thank you. It worked. Zig sintax still confuses me. Best Regards, gonzo. ---
**Author:** ![dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/u/dee0xeed)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 6:31am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/9 "2023-03-21T06:31:13Z")
> [@dimitrigeo](#): > > Zig sintax still confuses me. A matter of habit, as usual 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/gonzo/32/54_2.png) [@gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/u/gonzo)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 7:26am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/10 "2023-03-21T07:26:03Z")
It grows on you. If you have any background in compilers, think of it like this: the syntax is designed to make it easier / possible to tokenize a line of code in isolation. Having keywords that declare your intention (`const`, `var`, `pub`, `fn`) coming before the declared name itself makes this much better than in C-like languages, where you have to unravel a declaration (think of a signal handler prototype). ---
**Author:** ![dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/u/dee0xeed)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/11 "2023-03-31T17:27:18Z")
Actually, the majority of the languages are a mix of - postfix notation (forth, no parentheses at all) - prefix notation (lisp, a lot of parentheses) As to the Zig - well, loops (for ex.) are somewhat strange, but that’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/gonzo/32/54_2.png) [@gonzo](https://ziggit.dev/u/gonzo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/12 "2023-03-31T17:49:32Z")
My main gripe with loops in zig is that they force you to manually create a scope if you don’t want the loop variable to escape into the outer scope. The new `for` loops are an improvement, but there still are cases where they will not help. ---
**Author:** ![dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/u/dee0xeed)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/13 "2023-03-31T18:53:35Z")
> [@dimitrigeo](#): > > Zig sintax still confuses me During past two, or maybe three years I had been studying some langs (Rust, Nim, D, C# among others) and my main concern was not a syntax - my main concern was how to use an OS interface directly, without those innumerable (stupid) libraries. If a language does not hide OS features inside its’ compiler then it’s probably a good language. It is always good to have goodies like standard data structures (linked lists, trees whatever) at syntax level (or in a std library), those are purely computational things (no OS support required) - but placing things like i/o, timers etc into some “platform independent library”… I just do not like this, something is wrong in doing it like this. My (personal) preferences for a really “general purpose (programming) language” are: - no garbage collection, no RAII - think yourself how and when you allocate/de-allocate RAM resource (take a look at the Zig approach - it’s just wonderful - choose an allocator you want or write your own, which will be guaranteed to be in conformance with all the libraries) - compile to native CPU code, no virtual machines - static typing - no OOP mess And after thinking a while I came to a conclusion that Zig is much closer to C _by it’s spirit_ than any other possible “C-replacement”. DIXI 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/14 "2023-03-31T20:27:45Z")
I couldn’t say it better. I have very little experience in programming, only using C in Numerical Calculus in the Physics graduation. Now I have some projects that require programming knowledge and I am confused with the plethora of languages and frameworks, etc, etc… C is very simple and straightforward, but with all the caveats, that the programmer is responsible for everything. I hate C++. And Java. I do not have much time to study Zig, but every week I do some hours of Zig programming. I understand that the sintax can’t be as simple as C, but, in the face of the competition (including Rust) is the best I can have. And the code transparency is awesome. Now let go back to understand number output formatting. And thanks for all the info. Best regards ---
**Author:** ![dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@dee0xeed](https://ziggit.dev/u/dee0xeed)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/15 "2023-04-01T08:49:59Z")
> [@dimitrigeo](#): > > Now let go back to understand number output formatting Aha. > [@What does 'alignment' component in format string mean?](https://ziggit.dev/t/what-does-alignment-component-in-format-string-mean/452): > > According to [this description](https://ziglearn.org/chapter-2/#formatting-specifiers): Alignment: One of three characters ‘\<’, ‘^’ or ‘\>’; these are for left, middle and right alignment First I thought it is about aligning within output column, like // left 1 123 // right 1 123 // middle 1 123 But… this code const std = @import("std"); const log = std.log; pub fn main() void { const x: u32 = 0x0000\_0001; log.info("x = 0x{X}", .{x}); log.info("x = 0x{X:0\>8}", .{x}); log.info("x = 0x{X:0\<8}", .{x}); log.info("x = 0x{X:0… but note - it is not a property of the language. ---
**Author:** ![dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/user_avatar/ziggit.dev/dimitrigeo/32/352_2.png) [@dimitrigeo](https://ziggit.dev/u/dimitrigeo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://ziggit.dev/t/simple-code-examples-in-zig-for-beginners/558/16 "2023-04-01T13:15:58Z")
Thanks for the explanation. That is the kind of difficulty I have to understand the comments and tutorials. What I mean is number output formatting, like “%6.2f” does in C. For the life of me, I still can’t print my numbers correctly. ASAP I get it, I will tell. Best regards.