Zig basic Windows application using win32 API

Info:
OS: Windows 10 IoT LTSC 2021
Zig: 0.15.2

Sample application using zigwin32, Windows API to create basic window that does nothing. It calls the following win32 API functions:
- LoadCursorW
- RegisterClassW
- GetLastError
- CreateWindowExW
- ShowWindow
- GetMessageW
- TranslateMessage
- DispatchMessageW
- DefWindowProcw
And windows WindoProc function for pumping messages.

Create a Zig application, like:

PS C:\prj\> mkdir hellowindow
PS C:\prj\> cd hellowindow
PS C:\prj\hellowindow> zig init

Modify build.zig to add zigwin32. See lines 86-91 in gist below. Update src/main.zig to look like below. Checkout zigwin32 into the root of the project

PS C:\prj\hellowindow> git clone https://github.com/marlersoft/zigwin32 libs/zigwin32

Now do a build:

PS C:\prj\hellowindow> zig build

Or do a release build that produces the smallest binary:

PS C:\prj\hellowindow> zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall

Demo how to use zigwin32 in your zig application

Create a Zig application, like:

PS C:\prj\zigwin32test> zig init

Modify build.zig to add zigwin32. See lines 68-72 in gist below. Update src/main.zig to look like below. Checkout zigwin32 into the root of the project

PS C:\prj\zigwin32test> git clone https://github.com/marlersoft/zigwin32 libs/zigwin32

Now do a build:

PS C:\prj\zigwin32test> zig build run

Reference:
https://github.com/myZig/zigwin32test

Compiling helloworld.c C application using Zig

Zig can be used to compile C source code. Below shows a very simple C source code, helloworld.c. Copy and save this to a file, say, in C:\hello-c\helloworld.c
To compile using Zig, do:

PS C:\hello-c> zig cc .\helloworld.c -o helloworld.exe

Compiling hello win32 C application in Zig

This is very similar to compiling C source in Zig but this time using win32 API. Copy and save this to a file, say, in C:\prj\hello-win\hello-win32.c
To compile using Zig, do:

PS C:\prj\hello-win> zig cc .\hello-win32.c -o hello-win32.exe

How to call ReadConsoleInputW using Zig in Windows

ReadConsoleInputW can be used to mimic kbhit() C function found in Borland C/C++.
OS: Windows 10 22H2
Zig: 0.12
Compile ReadConsoleInputW.zig:

PS C:\prj> zig build-exe -lc .\ReadConsoleInputW.zig

How to call MessageBoxW using Zig in Windows

OS: Windows 10 22H2
Zig: 0.12
Compile messageboxw.zig:

PS C:\prj> zig build-exe -lc .\msgboxw.zig

How to call MessageBoxA using Zig in Windows

OS: Windows 10 22H2
Zig: 0.12
Compile messagebox.zig:

PS C:\prj> zig build-exe messagebox.zig -lc

Zig - hello world

Hello world in Zig

PS C:\prj> mkdir hello-world
PS C:\prj> cd .\hello-world\
PS C:\prj\hello-world> zig init

You should see this output during init

info: created build.zig
info: created build.zig.zon
info: created src\main.zig
info: created src\root.zig
info: see `zig build --help` for a menu of options

Run it like this

PS C:\prj\hello-world> zig build run

The output should look like this

steps [4/7] install... All your codebase are belong to us.
Run `zig build test` to run the tests.