Identifier Values

ZON supports identifier values like .name = .my_package. This is common in build.zig.zon files.

API Methods

Method	Description
getIdentifier(path)	Get identifier value (or null)
setIdentifier(path, value)	Set identifier value (outputs as .value)
isIdentifier(path)	Check if value is an identifier
getString(path)	Also works for identifiers

Setting Identifier Values

Use setIdentifier to create values that output as .value:

var doc = zon.create(allocator);
defer doc.deinit();

// Use setIdentifier for .name = .value syntax
try doc.setIdentifier("name", "my_package");
try doc.setString("version", "1.0.0");

const output = try doc.toString();

Output:

.{
    .name = .my_package,
    .version = "1.0.0",
}

Reading Identifier Values

Use getIdentifier for identifier-specific access:

const source =
    \\.{
    \\    .name = .my_package,
    \\    .version = "1.0.0",
    \\}
;

var doc = try zon.parse(allocator, source);
defer doc.deinit();

// Get identifier (returns "my_package")
const name = doc.getIdentifier("name").?;
std.debug.print("Name: .{s}\n", .{name});

// getString also works
const name2 = doc.getString("name").?;

// Check type
if (doc.isIdentifier("name")) {
    std.debug.print("name is an identifier\n", .{});
}

// getType returns "identifier"
const t = doc.getType("name").?; // "identifier"

Comparison: String vs Identifier

Method	Set	Parsed	Output
setString("name", "foo")	String	String	.name = "foo"
setIdentifier("name", "foo")	Identifier	Identifier	.name = .foo

When parsing:

ZON Syntax	Type	getIdentifier	getString
.name = .foo	Identifier	"foo"	"foo"
.name = "foo"	String	null	"foo"

Parsing build.zig.zon

const source =
    \\.{
    \\    .name = .downloader,
    \\    .version = "0.1.0",
    \\    .fingerprint = 0xee480fa30d50cbf6,
    \\    .minimum_zig_version = "0.15.0",
    \\    .paths = .{
    \\        "build.zig",
    \\        "build.zig.zon",
    \\        "src",
    \\    },
    \\}
;

var doc = try zon.parse(allocator, source);
defer doc.deinit();

// Read identifier
if (doc.getIdentifier("name")) |name| {
    std.debug.print("Package: .{s}\n", .{name});
}

// Check type
std.debug.print("Type: {s}\n", .{doc.getType("name").?}); // "identifier"

// Read fingerprint (u64 / large hex)
if (doc.getUint("fingerprint")) |fp| {
    std.debug.print("Fingerprint: 0x{x}\n", .{fp});
}

// Read array
var i: usize = 0;
while (doc.getArrayString("paths", i)) |path| : (i += 1) {
    std.debug.print("Path: {s}\n", .{path});
}

Creating build.zig.zon Format

var doc = zon.create(allocator);
defer doc.deinit();

// Package name as identifier
try doc.setIdentifier("name", "my_lib");
try doc.setString("version", "0.1.0");
try doc.setString("minimum_zig_version", "0.15.0");

// Fingerprint (handled transitionally as i128 to capture full 64-bit hex)
const fp: u64 = 0xee480fa30d50cbf6;
try doc.setInt("fingerprint", @intCast(fp));

// Paths array
try doc.setArray("paths");
try doc.appendToArray("paths", "build.zig");
try doc.appendToArray("paths", "build.zig.zon");
try doc.appendToArray("paths", "src");

// Dependencies
try doc.setString("dependencies.http.url", "https://example.com/http");
try doc.setString("dependencies.http.hash", "abc123def456");

try doc.saveAs("build.zig.zon");

Output:

.{
    .dependencies = .{
        .http = .{
            .hash = "abc123def456",
            .url = "https://example.com/http",
        },
    },
    .fingerprint = 0xee480fa30d50cbf6,
    .minimum_zig_version = "0.15.0",
    .name = .my_lib,
    .paths = .{
        "build.zig",
        "build.zig.zon",
        "src",
    },
    .version = "0.1.0",
}

Run Example

zig build run-identifier_values