TL;DR
Zen C is a systems language that transpiles to human-readable GNU C/C11 while keeping full C ABI compatibility. It adds modern features—type inference, pattern matching, generics, traits, async/await and RAII-style memory aids—targeting existing C toolchains.
What happened
A new language implementation called Zen C provides a systems-programming surface that compiles down to readable GNU C/C11. The project emphasizes modern ergonomics—type inference, pattern matching, generics, traits, async/await—and supports manual memory control with helpers such as defer, autofree and an implementable Drop trait for RAII-like cleanup. Zen C outputs C code compatible with the C ABI and offers a command-line toolchain (zc) for running, building and an interactive REPL. The project includes inline-assembly support mapped to GCC-style extended asm, comptime metaprogramming, embedding of assets, and compiler plugins. Test-suite results listed in the repository show full feature support with GCC and Clang, while TCC supports a subset (~70%) and lacks certain GNU extensions. The repository contains a standard library written in Zen C and build/test instructions for contributors.
Why it matters
- Provides high-level language constructs while generating C that can interoperate with existing C code and toolchains.
- Readable generated C can aid debugging, portability and integration with established compiler backends.
- RAII-like helpers and explicit manual memory controls aim to make low-level resource management safer and more ergonomic.
- Compatibility with mainstream C compilers (GCC/Clang) allows reuse of decades of tooling and optimizations.
Key facts
- Zen C transpiles to human-readable GNU C/C11 source.
- The language advertises 100% C ABI compatibility.
- Language features include type inference, pattern matching, generics, traits, async/await, and lambdas.
- Memory aids include defer, autofree, and a Drop trait for RAII-style cleanup; manual memory management is supported.
- Inline assembly is supported and emitted as GCC-style extended asm with named constraints.
- Comptime metaprogramming, file embedding, and compiler plugins are supported.
- The project provides a zc tool with commands such as run, build, and repl; repository includes Makefile and tests.
- Test-suite status: GCC and Clang show 100% pass/support; TCC reports ~70% support and lacks some GNU extensions and features.
- The standard library is implemented in Zen C and the codegen targets a C11-compatible backend; a –cc flag lets users switch compilers.
What to watch next
- Compiler backend coverage and portability improvements (TCC shows partial support; GCC/Clang reported as fully supported).
- Ecosystem adoption, available libraries and third-party tooling: not confirmed in the source.
- Long-term production stability, performance benchmarks and security audits: not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- C ABI: Application Binary Interface conventions that govern how functions and data are represented at the machine level so compiled code can interoperate.
- RAII: Resource Acquisition Is Initialization—a pattern where resource allocation and release are tied to object lifetime, often via destructors.
- Comptime: Compile-time execution of code to generate or transform program artifacts before the final binary is produced.
- Inline assembly: Embedding assembly language instructions within higher-level source code so the compiler emits specific machine instructions.
- Trait: A language construct that defines shared behavior which types can implement, similar to interfaces or typeclasses.
Reader FAQ
Is Zen C compatible with existing C code?
Yes — the project states the generated output is GNU C/C11 and that it maintains 100% C ABI compatibility.
Which C compilers does Zen C support?
The tool is designed for most C11 compilers; repository test results show full feature support on GCC and Clang, while TCC supports roughly 70% of features.
How do I build or run a Zen C program?
The repository provides a zc tool. Typical commands shown are 'zc run file.zc', 'zc build file.zc -o out', and 'zc repl'; installation via git clone, make, and sudo make install is documented.
Does Zen C use garbage collection?
not confirmed in the source
Is Zen C production-ready?
not confirmed in the source
Zen C Modern Ergonomics. Zero Overhead. Pure C. Write like a high-level language, run like C. Overview Zen C is a modern systems programming language that compiles to human-readable GNU…
Sources
- Zen-C: Write like a high-level language, run like C
- Advanced Optimization and New Capabilities of GCC 11
- GCC & The GNU Toolchain's Exciting 2025 With New …
- C11 (C standard revision)
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