So, what is Rust?
Rust is a systems programming language that’s like C++ but without the emotional damage. It was invented by Graydon Hoare in 2010 and is now stewarded by the Rust Foundation. Designed for performance, memory safety, and fearless concurrency, Rust is the software world’s version of a trustworthy roommate — fast, reliable, and doesn’t crash when you forget to clean up.
Why was it invented?
Hoare, working at Mozilla at the time, was like: “What if we made a language that doesn’t let you accidentally erase your hard drive every time you forget a semicolon?” And boom — Rust. Mozilla used it to rebuild their browser engine, Servo, which was so fast it made other engines consider early retirement.
Is Rust Still Relevant?
Absolutely. While Rust isn’t among the top 10 most-used languages on GitHub, the Octoverse 2024 report notes that “systems programming languages, like Rust, are also on the rise.” This indicates growing interest and adoption in the developer community.
Furthermore, Rust has been recognized as the “most admired programming language” in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey for eight consecutive years, reflecting a strong and passionate developer base.
Strengths & Superpowers
- Memory Safety: No null pointer exceptions, no data races. Rust holds your hand like a loving grandparent who also happens to teach Krav Maga.
- Zero-Cost Abstractions: High-level features without slowing you down. Imagine writing poetry that compiles to assembly.
- Concurrency: Built-in tools to safely work across threads. Your CPU cores will high-five you.
- Cross-platform: Write once, run anywhere — but with way fewer bugs than Java.
But It’s Not All Roses
- Steep Learning Curve: Borrow checker = judgmental librarian who won’t let you take out two books at once because one might be overdue.
- Compilation Time: Rust compiles slowly. Some people finish entire Netflix series while waiting.
- Tooling Maturity: Better than it was, but don’t expect the plug-and-play vibe of something like Node.js.
What’s It Used For?
- Embedded Systems — Rust powers low-level devices without crashing like your printer driver.
- Game Development — High-performance code without C++ heartache.
- WebAssembly (Wasm) — Yew and Leptos let you write blazing-fast frontend apps in Rust.
- Command Line Tools — Many dev tools like ripgrep are written in Rust and they absolutely slap.
- AI/ML Infrastructure — Rust is gaining momentum with ML thanks to frameworks like:
- tangram: Build, train, and deploy ML models.
- tch-rs: Run PyTorch models using libtorch bindings in Rust.
- linfa: Scikit-learn style classic ML in pure Rust.
- burn: A modern deep learning framework written entirely in Rust.
Example Time
Here’s a classic:
fn main() {
let name = "Rustacean";
println!("Hello, {}! Welcome to memory safety with zero garbage collection.", name);
}
That simple snippet compiles to an executable that doesn’t just say hello — it also doesn’t leak memory like a Windows XP machine in 2003.
Who Uses It?
- Amazon (AWS) — Parts of Firecracker are written in Rust.
- Dropbox — Uses Rust for file synchronization performance.
- Cloudflare — Built Rust into parts of their edge computing platform.
- Discord — Migrated from Go to Rust to reduce latency and memory usage.
- Microsoft — Uses Rust in security-critical components of Windows.
What’s It Like?
Imagine if C++ went to therapy and got its life together. That’s Rust.
Rust vs the World
Rust and AI: Frenemies?
Rust isn’t the go-to for training neural networks from scratch (yet), but it’s becoming a powerhouse for ML infrastructure. You can write fast, memory-safe tools to deploy, serve, and run models without breaking a sweat. Plus, projects like burn are narrowing the gap.
The Stack It Works With
- Backends: Actix, Rocket
- Frontends: Leptos, Dioxus
- Databases: Diesel, sqlx
- Build: Cargo (the package manager that actually sparks joy)
Fun Rust Tidbit
Rust has a mascot: Ferris the Crab. He’s adorable, memory-safe, and still more trustworthy than your flaky cousin who said he’d return your power drill.
Final Thoughts
Rust is the only language that lovingly critiques your code before it compiles — and then gives you a hug when it runs perfectly.
If you’ve ever wished you could write C++ without night terrors, Rust is calling.
Follow for more absurd but educational takes — and drop a comment if Rust has ever made you cry, cheer, or throw your laptop gently across the room.
Art Prompt:
Impressionism — Claude Monet — La Grenouillère
Soft, dappled sunlight filters through leafy canopies, dancing atop rippling water with golden highlights and shadowed blues. Figures gather on wooden piers and rowboats, blurred with gentle brush strokes and dreamy outlines. The palette leans toward warm ochres and mossy greens, with fluid reflections dissolving forms into glowing serenity. Emphasize the tranquil mood, shifting daylight, and the delicate, hazy liveliness that blurs the boundary between nature and human joy.
Friday Night Laughs
A man buys a parrot from a pet store.
The tag says: “Warning: swears like a sailor.”
He thinks, “How bad could it be?”
He brings it home.
The parrot takes one look around and yells,
“This dump again?! I thought I was getting adopted by Beyoncé!”
The man’s stunned. “Hey! Be nice or I’ll put you in the freezer!”
The parrot screeches, “You touch that freezer and I’m telling PETA!”
After an hour of nonstop insults, he snaps and sticks the bird in the freezer.
Five minutes of silence.
He opens the door. The parrot steps out, calm.
“I apologize for my earlier behavior. May I ask… what did the chicken do?”