git-hardening/.crosslink/rules/zig.md

Zig Best Practices

Code Style

• Follow Zig Style Guide
• Use const by default; var only when mutation needed
• Prefer slices over pointers when possible
• Use meaningful names; avoid single-letter variables

// GOOD: Clear, idiomatic Zig
const User = struct {
    id: []const u8,
    name: []const u8,
};

fn findUser(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, id: []const u8) !?User {
    const user = try repository.find(allocator, id);
    return user;
}

Error Handling

• Use error unions (!T) for fallible operations
• Handle errors with try, catch, or explicit checks
• Create meaningful error sets

// GOOD: Proper error handling
const ConfigError = error{
    FileNotFound,
    ParseError,
    OutOfMemory,
};

fn loadConfig(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) ConfigError!Config {
    const file = std.fs.cwd().openFile("config.json", .{}) catch |err| {
        return ConfigError.FileNotFound;
    };
    defer file.close();
    // ...
}

Memory Safety

• Always pair allocations with deallocations
• Use defer for cleanup
• Prefer stack allocation when size is known
• Use allocators explicitly; never use global state