Choosing a Rust programming book depends on where you are in your understanding of Rust. Are you a beginner? Do you know some things but not a lot? A book for beginners may be for you. Even if you know some things, a beginner book will fill in many gaps in your understanding of Rust. The Rust book you choose should be written in clear, concise language.
The book you choose should challenge your mind and make you think about how Rust works. The content should be structured, organized, and current. Look for books with exercises and problems for you to work on.
Top Rated Rust Books of December 2024
What is Rust programming used for?
Rust is used to create operating systems and file systems. Programmers use Rust to build file synchronization engines and browser components. Rust is also valuable in creating game engines and virtual reality simulation engines. Rust is good at developing tools and creating websites. Rust performs well with data-intensive programs. As well as programs that use a lot of algorithms.
Over and over again when other programs bog down, programmers turn to Rust. Rust is fast and is less likely to bog down when many people are using the software. Rust is a high-end performer causing fewer problems for the end-user.
Rust memory is written so that no garbage builds up. There is no need for garbage collection programs. It has minimal runtime checking.
Programmers have turned to Rust to avoid bugs that develop in their other programming systems. Rust combines safety with speed. This gives programmers more control over the end product.
Is Rust easy to learn?
There at two schools of thought when it comes to learning Rust. Some believe you need a basic understanding of programming language to learn Rust.
Others feel your mind will be less confused if you start by learning Rust first. That way you learn general system programming as you learn the Rust language.
Rust is a complex programming language. But, some techniques make learning Rust easier. The core language is clean and follows a logical pattern. Unfortunately, most training material focuses on previous programming skills. So getting the right training book for beginning programmers is necessary.
Things to keep in mind when learning Rust. The language introduces new concepts to build memory safety and thread-safety. It gives Rust speed and security. These concepts are:
- Ownership
- Borrowing
- Lifetimes
Rust language is static, unchanging. The compiler checks Rust code as it is written. The compiler tells you if there is an error in your code as you write it, there is no need to check afterward.
One method to learn Rust is:
- Read the book, leaving the more complex sections like macros and ‘Unsafe Rust’ for later.
- Then build a simple small practice program that is easy to do.
- Next, study the Rust frameworks one by one individually.
Another recommendation, focus on the things most programming languages have in common. The following are fundamental to most programming languages. It is believed once you understand them, you can learn the rest quickly.
- Variables
- Expressions
- Statements
Why is Rust so popular now?
One thing that makes Rust so popular is it will dove tail in with other programming languages. It provides cross-platform solutions. Many programmers use it to enhance C, C++, Ruby, JavaScript, and Python. Rust is cost-effective, it does not have bugs that take time to track and resolve like other languages.
A 2020 survey done for the Stack Overflow Developer concluded Rust was the most popular for the 5th year in a row. It is so popular that programmers can test Rust on the fly and determine where adjustments need to be made.
Rust’s high performance and fast pace help developers be more productive. Rust solves problems with memory errors. Using the borrow checker, Rust checks itself. It ensures references are deleted when they no longer refer to a data string. This process eliminates memory bugs and the need for garbage collection programs.
A community of volunteer coders maintains the Rust codebase. They continue to add new enhancements, popular with programmers because the ways they can use the language keeps expanding. Mozilla sponsors the Rust open source project.
Is Rust faster than Golang?
They are both compiled languages. That means the programs are translated to native machine code directly. Programs are deployed as a single binary file. Both programs are fast because they don’t have to go through an interpreter like other languages.
However, Rust's performance is particularly outstanding when it comes to speed. When it comes to a showdown for speed between Rust and Golang, Rust wins. At the same time, Rust offers memory safety. Rust can handle complex code without losing speed during run time. Rust’s specialty is processing large volumes of data and intensive CPU operations. Algorithms benefit from Rust's speed.
Golang is primarily designed for speed of development rather than speed of execution. They are very different in style and syntax. Programmers choose a language for what it can do for them, based on the type of program they intend to develop.
