Buz – A Fork Of Bun Using Modern Zig, With Sub-1s Incremental Builds

Buz, a new fork of the JavaScript runtime Bun built using the modern programming language Zig, has achieved sub-one-second incremental build times. This performance milestone could accelerate JavaScript development workflows and improve tooling responsiveness, making it a notable development in the JavaScript ecosystem.

Buz is a fork of Bun, an increasingly popular JavaScript runtime focusing on speed and efficiency. Unlike Bun, which is primarily written in C++, Buz leverages Zig, a newer systems programming language known for its safety and performance benefits. According to the project’s creators, Buz has demonstrated incremental build times under one second, a significant improvement over existing JavaScript tooling.

The project was announced in October 2023 by its developers, who emphasize that it is still in early development but shows promising performance gains. The key achievement is the ability to perform incremental builds quickly, which is crucial for developers working on large codebases or needing rapid iteration cycles. The Buz team claims that this speed is achieved through optimized build processes and efficient use of Zig’s capabilities.

Potential Impact on JavaScript Development Speed

The ability to perform sub-one-second incremental builds could transform how developers work with JavaScript projects. Faster build times reduce wait periods during development, enabling more efficient testing, debugging, and iteration. If adopted widely, Buz could push the industry toward faster, more responsive JavaScript tooling, especially for large or complex codebases. This development also highlights Zig’s growing role in systems and tooling development, offering an alternative to traditional languages used in runtime environments.

Background on Bun and Zig’s Role in Modern Tooling

Bun has gained popularity as a high-performance JavaScript runtime, competing with Node.js and Deno by emphasizing speed and modern features. It is built in C++, with efforts underway to improve build and startup times. Zig, a relatively new systems programming language, has been gaining attention for its safety, simplicity, and efficiency, making it attractive for performance-critical projects. Several projects have explored Zig as an alternative to C or C++, especially in tooling, due to its ability to produce small, fast binaries with minimal runtime overhead.

In this context, Buz represents an innovative attempt to combine Zig’s benefits with Bun’s architecture, aiming for faster incremental builds. The development was first announced in October 2023 by the Buz team, who indicated that their goal was to significantly improve build times and overall responsiveness of JavaScript tooling.

“Using Zig allowed us to optimize build processes and achieve under-one-second incremental build times, something previously thought difficult in JavaScript runtimes.”

— Buz project lead

Unconfirmed Aspects and Development Status

It is not yet clear how stable Buz will be for production use or how it will integrate with existing JavaScript ecosystems. The project is still in early development, and performance benchmarks beyond initial tests are not publicly available. Additionally, it remains uncertain whether Buz will gain widespread adoption or how it compares to other tooling in real-world scenarios.

Next Steps for Buz Development and Adoption

The Buz team plans to continue refining their build system and conduct more comprehensive benchmarks. They aim to release beta versions to gather community feedback and test integration with existing JavaScript workflows. Wider adoption will depend on stability, compatibility, and community interest, with ongoing updates expected over the coming months.

Key Questions

What is Buz, and how is it different from Bun?

Buz is a fork of Bun built with the programming language Zig. Its primary goal is to achieve faster incremental build times, reportedly under one second, which is a performance improvement over the original Bun runtime.

Why is Zig used in Buz, and what advantages does it offer?

Zig is chosen for its efficiency, safety, and simplicity, which help optimize build processes. Its ability to produce small, fast binaries with minimal runtime overhead makes it suitable for performance-critical tooling like Buz.

Is Buz ready for production use?

Not yet. Buz is currently in early development with promising initial results. Its stability, compatibility, and performance in real-world scenarios are still being tested.

How might Buz impact JavaScript development workflows?

If adopted widely, Buz could significantly reduce build times, enabling faster testing and iteration, especially for large projects or complex codebases.

When will Buz be available for broader testing?

The developers plan to release beta versions in the coming months to gather feedback and improve stability before wider release.

Source: hn