# Keyword Reference

Keyword	Description
`<br>addrspace<br>`	The `addrspace` keyword. - TODO add documentation for addrspace
`<br>align<br>`	`align` can be used to specify the alignment of a pointer. It can also be used after a variable or function declaration to specify the alignment of pointers to that variable or function. - See also Alignment
`<br>allowzero<br>`	The pointer attribute `allowzero` allows a pointer to have address zero. - See also allowzero
`<br>and<br>`	The boolean operator `and`. - See also Operators
`<br>anyframe<br>`	`anyframe` can be used as a type for variables which hold pointers to function frames. - See also Async Functions
`<br>anytype<br>`	Function parameters can be declared with `anytype` in place of the type. The type will be inferred where the function is called. - See also Function Parameter Type Inference
`<br>asm<br>`	`asm` begins an inline assembly expression. This allows for directly controlling the machine code generated on compilation. - See also Assembly
`<br>break<br>`	`break` can be used with a block label to return a value from the block. It can also be used to exit a loop before iteration completes naturally. - See also Blocks, while, for
`<br>callconv<br>`	`callconv` can be used to specify the calling convention in a function type. - See also Functions
`<br>catch<br>`	`catch` can be used to evaluate an expression if the expression before it evaluates to an error. The expression after the `catch` can optionally capture the error value. - See also catch, Operators
`<br>comptime<br>`	`comptime` before a declaration can be used to label variables or function parameters as known at compile time. It can also be used to guarantee an expression is run at compile time. - See also comptime
`<br>const<br>`	`const` declares a variable that can not be modified. Used as a pointer attribute, it denotes the value referenced by the pointer cannot be modified. - See also Variables
`<br>continue<br>`	`continue` can be used in a loop to jump back to the beginning of the loop. - See also while, for
`<br>defer<br>`	`defer` will execute an expression when control flow leaves the current block. - See also defer
`<br>else<br>`	`else` can be used to provide an alternate branch for `if`, `switch`, `while`, and `for` expressions. - If used after an if expression, the else branch will be executed if the test value returns false, null, or an error. - If used within a switch expression, the else branch will be executed if the test value matches no other cases. - If used after a loop expression, the else branch will be executed if the loop finishes without breaking. - See also if, switch, while, for
`<br>enum<br>`	`enum` defines an enum type. - See also enum
`<br>errdefer<br>`	`errdefer` will execute an expression when control flow leaves the current block if the function returns an error, the errdefer expression can capture the unwrapped value. - See also errdefer
`<br>error<br>`	`error` defines an error type. - See also Errors
`<br>export<br>`	`export` makes a function or variable externally visible in the generated object file. Exported functions default to the C calling convention. - See also Functions
`<br>extern<br>`	`extern` can be used to declare a function or variable that will be resolved at link time, when linking statically or at runtime, when linking dynamically. - See also Functions
`<br>fn<br>`	`fn` declares a function. - See also Functions
`<br>for<br>`	A `for` expression can be used to iterate over the elements of a slice, array, or tuple. - See also for
`<br>if<br>`	An `if` expression can test boolean expressions, optional values, or error unions. For optional values or error unions, the if expression can capture the unwrapped value. - See also if
`<br>inline<br>`	`inline` can be used to label a loop expression such that it will be unrolled at compile time. It can also be used to force a function to be inlined at all call sites. - See also inline while, inline for, Functions
`<br>linksection<br>`	The `linksection` keyword can be used to specify what section the function or global variable will be put into (e.g. `.text`).
`<br>noalias<br>`	The `noalias` keyword. - TODO add documentation for noalias
`<br>noinline<br>`	`noinline` disallows function to be inlined in all call sites. - See also Functions
`<br>nosuspend<br>`	The `nosuspend` keyword can be used in front of a block, statement or expression, to mark a scope where no suspension points are reached. In particular, inside a `nosuspend` scope: - Using the `suspend` keyword results in a compile error. - Using `await` on a function frame which hasn't completed yet results in safety-checked Illegal Behavior. - Calling an async function may result in safety-checked Illegal Behavior, because it's equivalent to `await async some_async_fn()`, which contains an `await`. Code inside a `nosuspend` scope does not cause the enclosing function to become an async function. - See also Async Functions
`<br>opaque<br>`	`opaque` defines an opaque type. - See also opaque
`<br>or<br>`	The boolean operator `or`. - See also Operators
`<br>orelse<br>`	`orelse` can be used to evaluate an expression if the expression before it evaluates to null. - See also Optionals, Operators
`<br>packed<br>`	The `packed` keyword before a struct definition changes the struct's in-memory layout to the guaranteed `packed` layout. - See also packed struct
`<br>pub<br>`	The `pub` in front of a top level declaration makes the declaration available to reference from a different file than the one it is declared in. - See also import
`<br>resume<br>`	`resume` will continue execution of a function frame after the point the function was suspended.
`<br>return<br>`	`return` exits a function with a value. - See also Functions
`<br>struct<br>`	`struct` defines a struct. - See also struct
`<br>suspend<br>`	`suspend` will cause control flow to return to the call site or resumer of the function. `suspend` can also be used before a block within a function, to allow the function access to its frame before control flow returns to the call site.
`<br>switch<br>`	A `switch` expression can be used to test values of a common type. `switch` cases can capture field values of a Tagged union. - See also switch
`<br>test<br>`	The `test` keyword can be used to denote a top-level block of code used to make sure behavior meets expectations. - See also Zig Test
`<br>threadlocal<br>`	`threadlocal` can be used to specify a variable as thread-local. - See also Thread Local Variables
`<br>try<br>`	`try` evaluates an error union expression. If it is an error, it returns from the current function with the same error. Otherwise, the expression results in the unwrapped value. - See also try
`<br>union<br>`	`union` defines a union. - See also union
`<br>unreachable<br>`	`unreachable` can be used to assert that control flow will never happen upon a particular location. Depending on the build mode, `unreachable` may emit a panic. - Emits a panic in `Debug` and `ReleaseSafe` mode, or when using `zig test`. - Does not emit a panic in `ReleaseFast` and `ReleaseSmall` mode. - See also unreachable
`<br>var<br>`	`var` declares a variable that may be modified. - See also Variables
`<br>volatile<br>`	`volatile` can be used to denote loads or stores of a pointer have side effects. It can also modify an inline assembly expression to denote it has side effects. - See also volatile, Assembly
`<br>while<br>`	A `while` expression can be used to repeatedly test a boolean, optional, or error union expression, and cease looping when that expression evaluates to false, null, or an error, respectively. - See also while