# Language

> Guide for Zig core language features. Use when writing Zig code with comptime, error handling, data types, slices, optionals, defer, or following Zig idioms.

- Skill: `vinnie357/language` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add vinnie357/language`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/vinnie357/language/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: vinnie357 (https://skillmd.com/u/vinnie357)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/vinnie357/language

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# Zig Language

Core language features, data types, and idioms for writing Zig code.

## Anti-fabrication

This skill follows `core:anti-fabrication`. Verified against zig 0.16.0 (locally
installed, claude-skills-204) by compiling the documented snippets:
`references/language.md`'s `defer` example opened a file with `std.fs.cwd()`, which does
not exist at 0.16.0 — rewritten against `std.Io.Dir.cwd().openFile(io, ...)` /
`file.close(io)`, with the pre-0.16 form kept as a note for readers on older
toolchains. Re-verify against a locally installed `zig version` before asserting a
`std` API this skill doesn't cover — Zig is pre-1.0 and `std` breaks across minor
releases.

## Key Topics

For detailed syntax, patterns, and examples, see `references/language.md`.

Topics covered:
- Comptime: compile-time execution, generics via comptime parameters, key builtins
- Error handling: error sets, error unions, try/catch, errdefer, merging error sets
- Data types: structs, packed structs, enums, tagged unions, optionals
- Slices, arrays, pointers, and sentinel-terminated types
- Strings as `[]const u8` byte slices
- Resource cleanup with defer/errdefer (LIFO execution order)
- Naming conventions and formatting style