Ganzzahlen mit fester Größe: i32, u8, usize

In Zig the width of an integer is part of its type. You always know exactly how many bits a number uses. 🔢

A type like i32 is a signed 32-bit integer. The i means it can hold negative values as well as positive ones.

An u8 is an unsigned 8-bit integer. With no sign bit it stores only non-negative values, from 0 up to 255.

The number after i or u is the bit width. A u8 covers 0 to 255, while a u16 reaches all the way up to 65535.

The usize type is an unsigned integer sized to hold any memory address or index on your machine. Use it for lengths.

The isize type matches usize in width but is signed. Reach for it when an index-sized value can also go negative.

Fixed widths make memory and overflow predictable. You never have to guess how big an int is on a given platform.

You can label a value with a type, or let Zig infer it from context. A bare literal often becomes a comptime integer.

Zig refuses to store a value that does not fit. Assigning 300 to a u8 is a compile error, since u8 stops at 255.

To move between integer widths you ask explicitly. The @intCast built-in converts a value to a different integer type.

The name tells you everything: i8 ranges from -128 to 127, while u16 spans 0 to 65535. The width and sign are right there.

You need a value that stores the length of an array or a memory index. Which integer type is the natural fit?

Zig integers name their sign and width: i32, u8, and usize. Pick the smallest type that fits, and cast on purpose when widths differ. 🎯