It is a multi-paradigm system programming language that performs C and C++ but with the design to keep the safety of the application in mind. The Rust programming language is useful as it allows the developer to write faster, more reliable software.
So, there is a long overhaul debate on the programmers preferring dynamic versus static type systems. With dynamic typing, people get frustrated with larger codebases. Statically typed languages provide you compiler-checked constraints on the data and its behavior, eliminating cognitive overhead and misunderstandings.
Like Haskell and some other modern programming languages, Rusk encodes the possibility of using an optional type, and the compiler requires you to handle the None case. This leads to the prevention of the dreaded TypeError: Cannot read property 'foo' of null or runtime error, instead of that, one can resolve it before showing it to the user.
Rust programming language is used for game engines, operating systems, file systems, browser components, and stimulation engines for virtual reality.
Why to Use Rust?
So, Rust does not have a garbage collector running behind it. It programs quite fast with an efficient memory running on embedded devices. The bonus point is that it can easily integrate with other languages.
It also practices a high level of control and performance. Rust has significant documentation- a Powerful compiler with useful error messages, and top-notch tooling- an integrated package manager and build tool, smart multi-editor support with auto-completion and type inspections. You could also check a detailed Comparison Between Go Vs Rust
The benefits of using Rust overshadow the drawbacks of this language.
Pros
It has the strong support of generics with Guaranteed Safety and its complexity of code makes it quite beneficial. It has rich patterns and syntax and supports easy Integration of C and several languages with no cost abstraction.
Rust’s static typing encourages long-term maintainability by providing a smooth way of programming. Some statically-typed languages require the programmer to repeat the type of variable multiple times. It reduces the ease of reading and refactoring. Whereas other statically-typed languages require whole-program type inference.
It might be convenient during the initial phase, however, this reduces the ability of the compiler to provide useful error information when types no longer match. Rust learns from both of these styles and requires top-level items like function arguments and constants to have explicit types while allowing type inference inside of function bodies.
You can predict the run time behavior of the application and can save time in debugging and testing. It has strong community support.
Rust’s rich type documentation system and ownership model ensures memory safety and thread -safety. Memory safety helps you eliminate several classes of bugs while compiling time.
It gives you the choice of storing data on the stack or the heap and determines at compile time when memory is no longer needed and can be cleaned up. This allows efficient usage of memory and performative memory access.
Rust projects are suited to be used as libraries by other programming languages via foreign-function interface, without the garbage collector running behind it. Some projects are rewritten using Rust because it allows the projects to replace performance-critical pieces with their code. The programmer does not have to worry about running into memory safety risks that are present in other programming languages. It is an ideal language for embedded and bare-metal development as it provides direct access to hardware and memory.
One can write extremely low-level code such as operating system kernels or microcontroller applications.
The borrow checker is the biggest benefit Rust can provide compared to other languages. This is the part of the compiler responsible for ensuring that references do not outlive the data they refer to, and it helps eliminate entire classes of bugs caused by memory unsafety.
Cons
The programming language is quite complex. It is also difficult to learn and is slow in compiling also.
It is highly likely that due to Rust’s strong type system and emphasis on memory safety, it can get errors while compiling your code. Rust developers are finding a way to improve the error messages to get them clear and actionable.
One can be complaining of “fighting the borrow checker” and that can be disappointing. It is important to note that each of the locations identified can introduce you to the potential vulnerabilities and bugs in a language that didn’t perform the same checks.
In an example- a mutable string is created with a name and a reference is given to the first three bytes of the same. While that reference is outstanding, we attempt to mutate the string by clearing it. There’s now no guarantee that the reference points to valid data and dereferencing it could lead to undefined behavior, so the compiler is stopped.
Due to its static-typed nature- prototype solutions can be challenging. Rust requires 100 percent of the conditions, not just 99 percent of them.
Edge cases must have applicable code, even when the programmer doesn’t yet know what the happy path should do. During early development, these edge cases can be addressed by causing the program to crash, and then rigorous error handling can be added at a later point. This is a different workflow than in languages such as Ruby, where developers often try out code in a REPL and then move that to a prototype without considering error cases at all.
Rust is still relatively new, which means that some desired libraries may not be available yet. The upside is there’s plenty of fertile ground to develop these needed libraries, perhaps even taking advantage of recent developments in the relevant computer science fields. Due to this and Rust’s capabilities, some of Rust’s libraries, such as the regex crate, are the best-in-breed across any language.
Rust does not have a finalized language.
A specific problem may not have access to language features that would make it simpler to express or perhaps even possible to express. As an example, Rust has had asynchronous futures for over three years, but stable async / await support in the language itself is only a few months old.
The Rust compiler is built on top of LLVM, which means that the number of target platforms will be smaller than C or C++.
Conclusion
Easier to approach and has a sizable community- it does not come with decades of technical debt and yet provides qualified performance. Memory and compatibility are other added benefits.
Top comments (2)
Awesome
Fantastic writeup, thank you!