zig translate-c zum Lesen von C als Zig

Sometimes you want to see C as plain Zig source. The zig translate-c command converts a C file into readable Zig.

By default translate-c writes the generated Zig to stdout. Redirect it to a file when you want to keep and edit the result.

Under the hood, @cImport uses the very same translator. translate-c just lets you inspect the Zig it would have produced.

Reading the output shows how a C declaration maps to Zig, which is a fast way to understand the type translations.

If the C uses headers in other folders, give translate-c -I flags so it can find and parse them correctly.

Just like a C compiler, you can pass -D to set macros before translation, shaping which code paths get converted.

Some C constructs are too tricky and emit an opaque placeholder or a comment. You then write that small piece of Zig by hand.

translate-c is best as a starting point. You generate Zig once, then maintain it as normal source rather than re-running it forever.

Use @cImport for live, always-fresh bindings during a build; use translate-c when you want a permanent Zig file you can edit.

The result is ordinary, compilable Zig. You can format it with zig fmt and treat it like any other module in your project.

So translate-c closes the loop: it turns existing C source into Zig you can read, study, and ship as part of your codebase.

Think about where translate-c sends its result by default.

You learned that zig translate-c converts C source into readable Zig on stdout, using the same engine as @cImport for a one-time conversion. 🎯