My Journey From C++ to Rust Programming, Why I Made The Switch

When I started programming, I was confident that C++ was the language I wanted to learn. After all, it was the most popular language for many years and I thought I could benefit from its versatility. Little did I know that I was about to embark on a journey to discover a new programming language - Rust. Rust is a relatively new programming language, but it has already gained a lot of traction in the programming community because of its performance, safety, and scalability. It was not an easy decision to switch from C++ to Rust, but I am glad I did. In this article, I will be discussing why I made the switch, the challenges I faced during the transition, and the benefits of learning Rust.

My Background in C++

I first learned C++ in college as part of my computer science course. I had zero programming experience before starting this course, so it was a bit of a challenge to get used to the syntax and the logic behind it. Regardless, I had a great tutor who patiently guided me through the entire course and helped me to understand the C++ language. After completing my computer science course, I continued learning C++ by reading books and watching tutorials online. I was eager to build my programming skills and make use of the knowledge obtained in my college course, so I set up my C++ projects. I started with the basics - creating simple programs that could generate different outputs based on user inputs. I then moved on to more complex projects like building a multiplayer game and creating a 2D grid that could be used in games like Tetris and Pac-Man. Overall, I had a great experience learning C++ and I thought I would use it for the rest of my programming career.

What is Rust?

Rust is a general-purpose programming language designed with two objectives in mind - speed and safety. It is an open-source language that was created by Mozilla in 2011. Unlike C++, Rust is a non-garbage-collected language, and it runs with a static type system. If you are a C++ developer, you can think of Rust as a super-fast, static-typed language that can eliminate many of the runtime errors that occur in C++. If you are not a C++ programmer, don’t worry! This article will give you a brief overview of Rust and will help you understand its significance in the programming world.

Pros and Cons of Rust Programming

Rust is a great programming language, but it is important to note that it is not the right choice for every project. Every programming language has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important to make a balanced decision when selecting programming languages for your project. It is also important to note that Rust is a relatively new programming language and it is still evolving. This means that there will be changes to the language and syntax as the language grows in popularity. However, even with these changes, Rust is predicted to be a leader in the programming language market. Below are some of the key pros and cons of Rust.

• Rust has great performance: With the recent release of Rust 1.0, developers have reported that their applications are up to 10 times faster than the C++ equivalents.
• Rust is safe: The “ownership” model of Rust is designed to prevent data races, data corruption, and many other errors that are common in C++.
• The Rust community is growing: The Rust community is still relatively small, but as more developers take interest in the language, there will be more tutorials, tutorials, and resources available.
• Rust is a new language: As noted above, Rust is a new programming language and there may be some growing pains as the language continues to evolve.

Challenges I Faced Making the Switch

Switching from C++ to Rust is not an easy decision. It is a significant time investment that requires a lot of effort and patience. However, if you are a C++ developer considering the switch to Rust, these challenges are worth the reward. In this section, I will be detailing the challenges I faced during the transition from C++ to Rust.

• Understanding the Rust community: The Rust community is strong, but it is still relatively small. As such, it can be challenging to find answers to questions in the Rust forum.
• Finding the time to learn Rust: One of the biggest challenges of switching from C++ to Rust is finding the time to learn the language. You have to be committed to learning Rust and setting aside the time to do so.
• Switching programming paradigms: C++ and Rust are two very different languages, so it is important to understand the programming paradigms behind each language. This is especially important when dealing with common C++ instructions like “auto” and C++ templates and how to implement them in Rust.

Benefits of Learning Rust

As I mentioned above, switching from C++ to Rust is not an easy decision. However, if you are serious about programming and want to improve your skills, Rust is a great programming language to learn. Below are some of the benefits of learning Rust.

• Performance: As mentioned above, Rust has a great performance as C++ in many instances. This is especially useful for high-performance applications like image and video processing, financial software, and payment networks.
• Safety: The “ownership” model of Rust is designed to prevent data races, data corruption, and many other errors that are common in C++. This provides a safer programming environment that can save time and money on debugging and testing.
• Scaling: With the growing popularity of Rust, it has become a viable option for larger projects and big companies. This means that if you are a Rust developer, you will have the potential to work on bigger projects with larger teams.
• Rust tooling: rust shipped with built-in great tooling such as compiler, unit testing, npm-like package management, documentation generator, etc. So You don’t have to googling to find the best tooling from many alternatives provided by the C++ community
• A new skill set: As you learn Rust, you are gaining a new skill set and expanding your programming knowledge. This can be a great asset to your career as it allows you to take on new challenges and advance your skills.

Conclusion

If you are a C++ developer, you may be wondering if it’s worth the effort to switch to Rust. In this article, I have discussed the challenges of switching from C++ to Rust, the benefits of learning Rust, and why I made the switch from C++ to Rust. While it was not an easy decision, I am glad I made the switch as it has improved my skills and allowed me to explore a new programming language.