Why Did Rust Get So Popular?

For four straight years, Rust has been Stack Overflow’s favorite programming language. The vast majority of those who have had the chance to use it for software development adore it. However, many still wonder, “Why did Rust get so popular?” Let’s find out right now!

The short answer is that Rust helps resolve the critical flaws that are present in a lot of other languages, offering a considerable step forward with a relatively small number of downsides. The target audience for Rust comprises software developers and others who develop programs that manage thousands of millions of events at once.

In this article, you’ll find out the key characteristics of Rust, its applications, benefits, and reasons for its growing popularity among custom software developers, and where to turn for Computer Science homework help.

What is Rust programming?

Rust is a statically typed coding language developed for safety and performance, with a focus on memory management and safe concurrency. Its syntax is comparable to that of C++.

Rust was initially created as an open-source project by Mozilla Research. The Rust Foundation has stepped up to lead the language’s development in 2021.

Rust offers solutions to memory flaws and concurrent programming issues that C/C++ programmers have long struggled with. This is considered to be Rust’s main advantage. The distinctions between Rust and C++ are not limited to these, though.

Undoubtedly, contemporary C++ places a more significant emphasis on memory safety, but there are still a lot of issues to be handled. One of them is known as a “use after free mistake,” which takes place when a program continues using a pointer after it is freed, e.g., calls a lambda function after releasing all of its reference-captured objects.

Contrarily, the borrow checker—a compiler feature that makes sure that references don’t outlive the data they refer to—is present in Rust. It aids in the removal of memory violation problems. Such issues are detected during compilation, making garbage collection unnecessary.

Additionally, each reference in Rust has a lifetime that allows you to specify the period for which it is valid. This feature addresses the issue of non-valid references and sets Rust apart from C and C++.

Considering that over the past 12 years, memory safety issues have accounted for over 70% of all security bugs in Microsoft products, the significance of proper memory management becomes immediately apparent.

Modes of writing code in Rust

There are two modes to write code in Rust programming language:

• Safe Rust places extra constraints on the programmer (such as object ownership management) to make sure the code functions correctly.
• Unsafe Rust allows the programmer more control (it can work with raw C-style pointers, for example), but the code may fail.

More possibilities are available when using the unsafe mode, but you must exercise particular caution to make sure your code is actually secure. To achieve this, you can wrap the code in higher-level abstractions, which ensure that every application of the abstraction is secure. Using unsafe code should be done cautiously, much like with other programming languages, to prevent unexpected behavior and lower the possibility of segfaults and vulnerabilities brought on by memory unsafety.

Most notable features of Rust

One of Rust’s most notable features is its dual-mode model. On the contrary, in C++, you don’t know that your code is unsafe until your software malfunctions or a security breach appears later on. The other one is that Rust makes it simpler to write concurrent programs due to its ability to prevent data races immediately during compilation.

What is Rust used for?

Rust was created with efficiency, speed, and safety in mind. Developers frequently mention it as their preferred programming language because it combines best-in-class performance with extremely low resource utilization while providing the safety of a typical server language.

Here’s what Rust language is used for:

• Rust is used in production to control low-level details and use memory more efficiently. Tilde utilized it in their Skylight project to reduce memory use from 5GiB to 50MiB.
• Rust projects can be used as libraries by other languages. Rust code can replace some software parts where performance is critical without having to rewrite the product completely.
• Rust provides direct access to memory and hardware, making it an ideal choice for bare-metal and embedded development.
• Developers use Rust for web development and browser engines. Numerous exemplary websites and products have been developed using this language, including Figma, NPM, Mozilla, Atlassian, Dropbox, and others.
• One can write applications for microcontrollers and operating systems in Rust. In reality, several operating systems, including Redox, Rux, intermezzOS, Tock, and QuiltOS, were all written in Rust.
• Rust is also used by scientists for intensive data analysis in Computational Biology and ML, where there’s a need to process vast amounts of data quickly.

Now let’s talk about why programming in Rust is as popular as it is.

The reasons behind the Rust programming language popularity

Since its development, Rust has quickly become a favorite in the developer community. Its rise in popularity is not by chance; it comes from its impressive features and the real advantages it brings to projects and applications.

One strong indicator of Rust’s popularity is its consistently high ranking in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey. For several years, it has been named the “Most Loved” programming language, showing the enthusiasm and satisfaction of its users. This recognition reflects a lively community that appreciates what the language can do.

Rust isn’t also limited to a specific area. Businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large companies like Microsoft and Google, have started using Rust in their development processes. For example, Mozilla, which created the well-known Firefox browser, used Rust for key parts of its software to improve performance and security. Other companies in web and system development also favor Rust for its ability to handle multiple tasks at once, which makes it ideal for building fast web servers and operating systems.

Why is Rust so popular right now?

Rust stands out among programming languages because of its many benefits that meet developers’ needs for strong and efficient code. Here are some Rust advantages that made it so popular:

• Zero-cost abstractions

The expenses associated with performance, memory consumption, etc., are the same whether you utilize abstractions or choose the “manual” implementation because you are not required to pay for features you do not use.

• Built-in support for concurrency

Concurrency is what happens when many copies of a program are executed simultaneously and communicate with one another during the execution time.

Due to the built-in support for multi-threading, Rust prevents data races during compilation, making it easier for developers to create better concurrent code.

• Ownership and security

Ownership is reported to be Rust’s most prominent feature. It empowers Rust to achieve memory safety without the need for a garbage collector.

Rust is also regarded as one of the languages that put a strong emphasis on safety. It, in contrast to other languages, examines a program’s memory compilation at build time, frequently preventing errors and bugs that could result from bad memory management.

• Thorough documentation

It’s common knowledge that Rust is a difficult language to learn and is not recommended for beginners. Despite this, many developers have chosen to adopt Rust because of its comprehensive documentation.

• Secure asynchronous processing model

With the help of Rust’s asynchronous model, programmers can create modular codes that can run in parallel and then be combined. Many developers have discovered that this format allows them to write code faster and with fewer errors when developing software.

• Scalability

Rust coding language is thought to be the ideal language for creating architecture-aware functions.

• Perfect compiler

Many developers consider the increased focus on detail in Rust as a benefit. They can use this functionality to include suggestions that make it easier for the compiler to understand the context and spot problems, simplifying quality assurance.

• Coding without abstractions

Rust is primarily developed to assist system-level developers who deal with bytes and low-level details. As a result, it offers unprocessed data for developers to make use of it. This language is intended to coexist with the legacy C and assembly language code present in the bottom layers of OS and network stacks. Most developers need that level of control to create the quickest, most reliable stack possible.

• Low overhead

Applications built with Rust tend to be lightweight, which reduces runtime overhead and results in efficient software.

• Robust error handling

Rust’s compiler provides helpful error messages, allowing developers to spend less time debugging and more time improving their code.

• Rich ecosystem

Rust has a growing collection of libraries and tools that speed up project development. Its package manager, Cargo, makes it simple to build and share packages, improving developer productivity.

• Cross-platform development

Rust works on many platforms, making it suitable for everything from embedded systems to web applications.

Why use Rust?

To sum up, the key reasons for using Rust in your software projects are as follows:

• High performance while maintaining memory safety.
• Concurrent programming support.
• The expanding collection of Rust packages available at crates.io.
• A growing community of Rust users.
• Stability and compatibility with other languages.

Final thoughts

From its usability and the growing demand for the features it offers, we can see why Rust’s popularity is soaring and won’t be declining any time soon.

The Rust community is highly active and keeps releasing new tools and updates to make the language even better. Rust is expected to maintain its popularity in the years to come due to its reputation and capability to create safe systems.

The speed, safety, and efficiency (i.e., its capability to assist developers in writing performant code faster) are the main reasons why the developer community will continue to prefer Rust in the coming years.

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FAQs

What is Rust development?

Rust development refers to building software applications with the Rust programming language. This systems programming language, created by Mozilla, is recognized for its excellent performance, memory safety features, and capability for handling multiple tasks simultaneously.

Why is Rust so good?

Rust is popular among developers because this programming language is reliable and fast. It addresses many issues found in other programming languages while providing speed, security, and performance with fewer drawbacks.

Is Rust popularity still high in 2024?

Yes, Rust continues to gain popularity, even though it hasn’t yet reached its full potential. Recent research indicates a consistent upward trend in Rust’s adoption among developers, which also aligns with findings from Stack Overflow’s developer survey.

Will Rust replace C++ in the future?

Rust is more likely to coexist with C++ than replace it. While Rust provides a safer and more modern experience, especially for projects that prioritize memory safety and concurrency, both languages will probably continue to be used.