https://github.com/ringtailsoftware/zig-embeddir

Example showing how to embed a directory of files in a zig executable
https://github.com/ringtailsoftware/zig-embeddir

Last synced: 10 months ago
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Example showing how to embed a directory of files in a zig executable

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/ringtailsoftware/zig-embeddir
• Owner: ringtailsoftware
• Created: 2023-02-13T20:06:21.000Z (almost 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-01-02T00:08:51.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-10T22:40:50.399Z (10 months ago)
• Language: Zig
• Size: 380 KB
• Stars: 14
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

          
# embeddir

An example of using the zig build system to aid in embeddeding multiple files in an executable.

Toby Jaffey, https://mastodon.me.uk/@tobyjaffey

Zig has `@embedFile` (https://ziglang.org/documentation/master/#embedFile) which embeds the contents of a file in the executable at compile time. In some situations, it's useful to embed all files from a directory without hardcoding their names into the source code.

# How does it work?

In `build.zig`, we add a custom function `addAssetsOption()`. This opens the `assets` directory, lists files and passes the list to the main program in a module called `assets` in a field called `files`.

    ...

        options.addOption([]const []const u8, "files", files.items);

        exe.step.dependOn(&options.step);

        const assets = b.createModule(.{

            .source_file = options.getSource(),

            .dependencies = &.{},

        });

        exe.addModule("assets", assets);

    ...

In `src/main`, we build a `ComptimeStringMap` using `assets.files` as the keys and the result of `@embedFile()` on each key as the value.

At runtime, the data can then be accessed by filename using:

    const data = embeddedFilesMap.get(filename).?;

The list of files can be found in `assets.files`