Zig Interview Questions and Answers for freshers

1. What is Zig?

   • Answer: Zig is a general-purpose programming language designed for robustness, optimizability, and maintainability. It aims to be a better alternative to C in many respects, offering features like memory safety, powerful compile-time metaprogramming, and a focus on low-level control while maintaining a relatively simple syntax.

2. What are the key features of Zig?

   • Answer: Key features include: memory safety features (though not automatic garbage collection), compile-time code generation, built-in error handling (using `error union`s), strong typing, a focus on performance, and a straightforward syntax that's easier to learn than C.

3. How does Zig handle memory management?

   • Answer: Zig employs a combination of techniques. It allows manual memory management (using `alloc` and `free`), but also provides features like `defer` (for automatic resource cleanup), and built-in support for avoiding memory leaks and dangling pointers. It avoids garbage collection for predictable performance.

4. Explain Zig's `error union`s.

   • Answer: `error union`s are a powerful mechanism for handling errors. They allow functions to return either a successful value or an error value, clearly indicating the possibility of failure at compile time. This improves error handling compared to traditional approaches like returning error codes.

5. What is the purpose of `defer` in Zig?

   • Answer: `defer` is used to ensure that a block of code is executed before a function returns, regardless of how the function exits (normal return or error). This is crucial for releasing resources like memory or file handles, preventing leaks.

6. How does Zig's compile-time metaprogramming work?

   • Answer: Zig's compiler performs significant work at compile time, allowing for code generation and optimization based on compile-time constants and computations. This enables features like generating efficient code for specific hardware architectures and creating custom data structures without runtime overhead.

7. What are some advantages of using Zig over C?

   • Answer: Advantages include improved memory safety (though not fully automatic), better error handling, more expressive syntax, built-in support for concurrency, and easier management of dependencies.

8. What are some disadvantages of using Zig?

   • Answer: Disadvantages include a smaller community compared to C, a relatively newer language with evolving features and potentially less readily available third-party libraries, and a steeper learning curve for developers accustomed to more high-level languages.

9. Explain Zig's `comptime` keyword.

   • Answer: The `comptime` keyword indicates that a piece of code should be executed during compilation, not at runtime. This is fundamental to Zig's compile-time metaprogramming capabilities.

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