ZIG(1)

💖 NAME 💖

zig — the Zig compiler AND the build tool, one iconic little binary doing the absolute most 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

zig [command] [options]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so bestie, zig is literally both the compiler and the build system in one. You pick a command, you throw some options at it, and you go. That's the whole vibe. Here's the full menu of what you can ask it to do 👑

🌈 Commands 🌈

• build — builds your project from build.zig 📦
• fetch — copies a package into the global cache and prints out its hash 🔥
• init — sets up a brand-new Zig package right here in the current directory 🌱
• build-exe — makes an executable out of source files or object files 🏗️
• build-lib — makes a library out of source files or object files 📚
• build-obj — makes an object file out of source files or object files 🧩
• test — runs unit tests, because we test in this house 💅
• test-obj — makes an object file for unit testing 🔬
• run — makes an executable and then immediately runs it, no waiting, main character energy ✨
• ast-check — sniffs around for simple compile errors in any set of files 🕵️
• fmt — reformats Zig source into its canonical form, and yes it's giving gorgeous 💖
• reduce — minimizes a bug report so you're left with the tiniest little repro 🐛
• translate-c — converts C code into Zig code, the crossover episode we love to see 🔄
• ar — combines object files into a static archive 🗃️
• cc — uses Zig as a drop-in C compiler, effortless 😌
• c++ — uses Zig as a drop-in C++ compiler, yes she does both 👑
• dlltool — uses Zig as a drop-in dlltool.exe 🪟
• lib — uses Zig as a drop-in lib.exe 🧱
• objcopy — manipulates executables and relocatables 🛠️
• objdump — prints information about executables and relocatables 🔍
• ranlib — uses Zig as a drop-in ranlib 📇
• rc — uses Zig as a drop-in rc.exe 🎀
• env — prints the lib path, std path, cache directory, and version 🌍
• help — prints this help and exits, short and sweet 👋
• std — opens the standard library documentation in your browser 🌐
• libc — displays the native libc paths file, or validates one 🐧
• targets — lists every available compilation target 🎯
• version — prints the version number and exits 🔢
• zen — prints the Zen of Zig and exits, it's a whole mood 🧘‍♀️

✨ General Options ✨

• -h, --help — prints the usage for whatever command you're on, super handy when your brain is buffering 😭

and that's the whole page bestie!! no cap, you're basically a Zig girlie now 💅🦋

this gorgeous thing is zig 0.16.0, dated May 2026, hanging out in the User Commands section of the manual — love that for her 💜🌸