Commit b45a2d72c8
Changed files (1)
doc/langref.html.in
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
const std = @import("std");
pub fn main() !void {
- const stdout = std.io.getStdOut().outStream();
+ const stdout = std.io.getStdOut().writer();
try stdout.print("Hello, {}!\n", .{"world"});
}
{#code_end#}
@@ -269,16 +269,25 @@ pub fn main() !void {
</p>
<p>
A function is a block of any number of statements and expressions that, as a whole, perform a task.
- Functions may or may not return data after they are done performing their task.
+ Functions may or may not return data after they are done performing their task. If a function
+ cannot perform its task, it might return an error. Zig makes all of this explicit.
</p>
<p>
In the <code>hello.zig</code> code sample, the <code>main</code> function is declared
- with the {#syntax#}!void{#endsyntax#} return type. This return type tells the Zig compiler
- and other people reading the code that the function will not return a value and it <i>might</i> fail.
- The {#syntax#}!{#endsyntax#} (bang, exclamation mark) before the {#syntax#}void{#endsyntax#}
- {#link|type|Primitive Types#} is what tells the Zig compiler an {#link|error|Errors#} <i>might</i>
- occur. The {#syntax#}void{#endsyntax#} return type tells the Zig compiler the <code>main</code>
- function will not return a value.
+ with the {#syntax#}!void{#endsyntax#} return type. This return type is known as an {#link|Error Union Type#}.
+ This syntax tells the Zig compiler that the function will either return an
+ error or a value. An error union type combines an {#link|Error Set Type#} and a {#link|Primitive Type|Primitive Types#}.
+ The full form of an error union type is
+ <code><error set type></code>{#syntax#}!{#endsyntax#}<code><primitive type></code>. In the code
+ sample, the error set type is not explicitly written on the left side of the {#syntax#}!{#endsyntax#} operator.
+ When written this way, the error set type is a special kind of error union type that has an
+ {#link|inferred error set type|Inferred Error Sets#}. The {#syntax#}void{#endsyntax#} after the {#syntax#}!{#endsyntax#} operator
+ tells the compiler that the function will not return a value under normal circumstances (i.e. no errors occur).
+ </p>
+ <p>
+ Note to experienced programmers: Zig also has the boolean {#link|operator|Operators#} {#syntax#}!a{#endsyntax#}
+ where {#syntax#}a{#endsyntax#} is a value of type {#syntax#}bool{#endsyntax#}. Error union types contain the
+ name of the type in the syntax: {#syntax#}!{#endsyntax#}<code><primitive type></code>.
</p>
<p>
In Zig, a function's block of statements and expressions are surrounded by <code>{</code> and
@@ -286,9 +295,9 @@ pub fn main() !void {
the task of outputting <code>Hello, world!</code> to standard output.
</p>
<p>
- First, a constant identifier, <code>stdout</code>, is initialized to represent the standard output
- stream. Then, the program tries to print the <code>Hello, world!</code> message to the standard output
- stream.
+ First, a constant identifier, <code>stdout</code>, is initialized to represent standard output's
+ writer. Then, the program tries to print the <code>Hello, world!</code>
+ message to standard output.
</p>
<p>
Functions sometimes need information to perform their task. In Zig, information is passed
@@ -310,14 +319,14 @@ pub fn main() !void {
more statements or expressions left to execute in the <code>main</code> function, so the program exits.
</p>
<p>
- In Zig, the standard output stream's <code>print</code> function is allowed to fail because
- it is actually a function defined for a generic output stream. Consider a generic output stream that
- represents writing data to a file. When the disk is full, a write to the file will fail. However,
- we typically do not expect writing text to the standard output stream to fail. To avoid having
- to handle the failure case of printing to a standard output, you can use alternate functions: the
+ In Zig, the standard output writer's <code>print</code> function is allowed to fail because
+ it is actually a function defined as part of a generic Writer. Consider a generic Writer that
+ represents writing data to a file. When the disk is full, a write to the file will fail.
+ However, we typically do not expect writing text to the standard output to fail. To avoid having
+ to handle the failure case of printing to standard output, you can use alternate functions: the
<code>std.log</code> function for proper logging or the <code>std.debug.print</code> function.
- This documentation will use the latter option to print to standard error (stderr) and silently
- return on failure. The next code sample, <code>hello_again.zig</code> demonstrates the use of
+ This documentation will use the latter option to print to standard error (stderr) and silently return
+ on failure. The next code sample, <code>hello_again.zig</code> demonstrates the use of
<code>std.debug.print</code>.
</p>
{#code_begin|exe|hello_again#}