MakeNif - Multi-Language NIF Example

This is a sample project demonstrating how to build NIFs for multiple languages using elixir_make, including C, Rust, and Zig NIF implementations.

Features

C NIF

• c_add/2 - Add two numbers
• c_concat/2 - String concatenation

Rust NIF

• rust_multiply/2 - Multiply two numbers
• rust_reverse/1 - String reversal

Zig NIF

• zig_subtract/2 - Subtract two numbers
• zig_strlen/1 - Calculate string length

Dependencies

System Requirements

• Elixir 1.14+
• Erlang/OTP 24+
• CMake 3.10+
• Rust (latest stable version)
• Zig 0.11+

Additional Windows Requirements

• Visual Studio Build Tools
• scoop install make
• scoop install coreutils
• scoop install cmake
• scoop install zig
• rustup

Build and Run

1. Get dependencies

   mix deps.get

2. Compile project

   # Default release mode compilation
   mix compile
   
   # Or explicitly specify mode
   make release    # Build release version
   make debug      # Build debug version
   
   # Using environment variable
   BUILD_MODE=debug mix compile

3. Run tests

   mix test

4. Interactive testing

   # Using release version
   iex -S mix
   
   # Using debug version
   BUILD_MODE=debug iex -S mix

   Then test in IEx:

   # C NIF tests
   MakeNif.c_add(5, 3)          # => 8
   MakeNif.c_concat("Hello, ", "World!")  # => "Hello, World!"
   
   # Rust NIF tests  
   MakeNif.rust_multiply(4, 5)  # => 20
   MakeNif.rust_reverse("hello") # => "olleh"
   
   # Zig NIF tests
   MakeNif.zig_subtract(10, 3)  # => 7
   MakeNif.zig_strlen("Elixir") # => 6

5. Run demo script

   # Release mode demo
   elixir demo.exs
   
   # Debug mode demo
   BUILD_MODE=debug elixir demo.exs

Project Structure

make_nif/
├── lib/
│   └── make_nif.ex          # Elixir module definition
├── native/
│   ├── c_src/               # C NIF source code
│   │   ├── CMakeLists.txt   # CMake build configuration
│   │   └── c_nif.c          # C NIF implementation
│   ├── rust_src/            # Rust NIF source code
│   │   ├── Cargo.toml       # Cargo configuration
│   │   └── src/lib.rs       # Rust NIF implementation
│   └── zig_src/             # Zig NIF source code
│       ├── build.zig        # Zig build configuration
│       └── src/main.zig     # Zig NIF implementation
├── test/
│   ├── make_nif_test.exs    # Test file
│   └── test_helper.exs      # Test helper
├── Makefile                 # Main build file
└── mix.exs                  # Mix project configuration

Build System

This project uses elixir_make to coordinate builds across different languages:

1. Makefile is the main build entry point
2. CMake is used to build C NIFs
3. Cargo is used to build Rust NIFs
4. Zig built-in build system is used to build Zig NIFs

elixir_make will automatically call the Makefile's all target during mix compile.

Build Modes

The project supports two build modes:

• Release mode (default): Optimized production build

  make release
  # or
  BUILD_MODE=release make all

• Debug mode: Development build with debug symbols

  make debug
  # or  
  BUILD_MODE=debug make all

Build Targets

• make all - Build all NIFs (default release mode)
• make release - Build release version of all NIFs
• make debug - Build debug version of all NIFs
• make clean - Clean current build mode artifacts
• make clean-all - Clean all build artifacts (debug and release)
• make help - Show help information

Output Files

Built NIF files will have suffixes based on the mode:

• Release mode: c_nif.dll, rust_nif.dll, zig_nif.dll
• Debug mode: c_nif_debug.dll, rust_nif_debug.dll, zig_nif_debug.dll

Troubleshooting

Erlang Header Files Not Found

Ensure Erlang development packages are installed and erl_nif.h is accessible.

Rust Compilation Fails

Ensure Rust toolchain is properly installed:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Zig Compilation Fails

Ensure Zig is properly installed and in PATH:

zig version

Windows-Specific Issues

• Ensure you're using the correct shell (PowerShell or Git Bash)
• May need to set environment variables pointing to compiler paths
• When using MinGW, ensure the toolchain is in PATH