Rust
Definition
Rust is a compiled, systems programming language designed by Mozilla
- License: Dual licensed under MIT/Apache-2.0
- Runtime: Compiles directly to machine code (LLVM backend)
- Creator: Graydon Hoare at Mozilla expressions
- Zero-cost abstractions: High-level features compile to efficient machine code
- Fearless concurrency: Compile-time guarantees against data races
Key Concepts
| Concept |
Description |
| Ownership |
Each value has one owner; transfer on assignment |
| Borrowing |
References (&T, &mut T) with lifetime rules |
| Lifetimes |
Compile-time tracking of reference validity |
| Traits |
Similar to interfaces; define shared behavior |
| Enums with data |
Algebraic data types with associated values |
| Result type |
Explicit error handling with Ok/Either pattern |
| Tool |
Purpose |
| cargo |
Build tool and package manager (like Maven for Java |
| rustc |
Compiler |
| rustfmt |
Code formatter |
| clippy |
Linter |
| rustdoc |
Documentation generator |
Major Versions
| Version |
Year |
Key Features |
| Rust 1.0 |
2015 |
Stable release |
| Rust 1.30 |
2018 |
async/await (experimental) |
| Rust 1.36 |
2019 |
async/await (stable) |
| Rust 1.39 |
2019 |
match-arms |
| Rust 1.53 |
2021 |
Const generics |
| Rust 1.65 |
2022 |
match-arms |
| Rust 1.70 |
2023 |
pattern-matching |
| Rust 1.75+ |
2023-2024 |
async-closures, const-generics |
Use Cases
- Operating systems (Redox OS, linux kernel modules)
- WebAssembly (Wasm) modules
- Embedded systems and IoT
- Blockchain (Solana, Near)
- Browser components (Firefox, Chromium)
- CLI tools and system utilities
