Developer Shares Four Months of Experience with Zig Language, Including Project Work

Return to Zig and Initial Projects

After a hiatus of several years, a developer re-engaged with the Zig programming language for four months. During this period, they developed several software projects and reconnected with the Zig community both online and in person.

One of the initial projects undertaken was `snurl`, a library designed for interacting with smallnet protocols such as Gemini, Finger, and Gopher. The goal for `snurl` was to create an alternative to `curl` for these specific networks, with similar testing and fuzzing requirements. The developer also worked on a TUI typer racer and an n-body simulator using raylib.

Fuzzer Feature Status

An early challenge encountered was the non-functional state of Zig's fuzzer. Despite being demonstrated in the `main.zig` file generated by `zig init`, the feature was not yet completed. This was noted as a disappointment, though not entirely surprising given Zig's developmental status.

Community Engagement at Zig Day

A significant event during this period was attending a local Zig Day in Bothell, Washington. These events are local meetups where Zig enthusiasts collaborate on projects and discuss the language. The event saw a large turnout, necessitating a venue change, partly due to the attendance of Zig's creator, Andrew Kelley.

The developer praised the format of Zig Days, emphasizing their role in fostering an interconnected Zig community and providing opportunities for in-person interaction with other developers, including the language's creator.