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All Package Management Functionality Moved from Compiler to Build System

The Zig project has moved all package management functionality from the compiler into the build system, streamlining the toolchain's architecture.

Background

Zig is a modern systems programming language (first public release 2016) aiming to replace C. Led by Andrew Kelley. - In Zig's previous design, the compiler itself handled package management (downloading dependencies, resolving versions). This devlog entry announces that all of that functionality has been moved out of the compiler and into the build system (the `build.zig` script). - This is a major architectural change: the compiler no longer needs network access or knowledge of package registries. The build system now handles fetching, version resolution, and dependency graphs. - Decoupling package management from the compiler aligns with Zig's philosophy of explicitness — nothing happens silently. It also makes it easier for third-party tools to integrate with Zig. - This was planned from the start; package management in the compiler was always intended as a temporary convenience. This move is a significant milestone on the road to Zig 1.0.

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