difference between log.info and Io.File.stdout().writeStreamingAll();

[long coyote]

hi, im new to zig, i only know python but im trying to learn zig for fun. there are many hello world examples in documentations. what is the diffrence between the log example for zigzag and the hello world example using this try Io.File.stdout().writeStreamingAll(init.io, "hello world!\n"); }, std.log.info

[dusk dirge]

first one writes to stdout, second one may write to stderr, stdout, a log file, a log server, ...

[fair galleon]

well, std.log.info will run through an application-defined logging function that may or may not print to the console. by default, it prints to stderr which is generally a correct option for logging

[dusk dirge]

(I think the default is stderr)

[fair galleon]

stdout is essentially never the correct option for logging

it is for process output, not readable diagnostics. prefer std.log

[long coyote]

okay thanks a lot

[urban cargo]

i wish you good luck!!! Welcome to zig!!! ping my anytime

[dusk dirge]

also, std.log.info appends a \n and prepends info:

[long coyote]

so i dont need to use \n?

[urban cargo]

indeed

[dusk dirge]

correct

[long coyote]

so its kinda similar to console.log then

[urban cargo]

yea its the closest method you can get pretty much

[long coyote]

what would be the best way to accept text input from user in terminal?

[dusk dirge]

you read from std.Io.File.stdin(), or you parse the command line arguments

I almost always parse the command line

[long coyote]

okay that you so much

[dusk dirge]

np

[molten delta]

honestly: refer to posix for what the rest of the world thinks https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/V1_chap12.html

in practice: make your own decisions but posix makes people happy and is kind of the expected default

(if you are writing a utility, if its something like a quiz app for learning programming or anything else interactive stdin is the way)

[long coyote]

Im just learning. But what you sent isn’t it for command line arguments? I was thinking more like making a calculator to learn zig basics. Like enter first number, enter second, enter operation. This is my first day learning lmao.

[molten delta]

then yeah stdin

see my last paragraph

[long coyote]

I’ll try to follow standards because I also like standards thank you

[molten delta]

if you are making a small interactive thing for learning then stdin

[forest tide]

Hot take. Im going to disagree and say stderr is for error log messages, and stdout is for non error log messages.

[fair galleon]

falls apart the moment you make a tool that processes files (like cat)

also makes user unable to redirect logs all at once