Initially an alternative to C++, Rust was created by Graydon Hoare, a former Mozilla developer, and released in 2006. Ever since then, developers have slowly transitioned from preferring C++ to using Rust instead. Its popularity has continued to rise as well since its release.
Rust has more security measures compared to C++, protecting its data in ways its predecessor can’t. While Java uses garbage collection, which does slow down performance speed, Rust is still faster than Java. Against Python, Rust is inexpensive when it comes to fixing bugs in code. Rust is also more expressive and flexible compared to Go. Each of those popular programming languages has its own strengths but, when compared to Rust, there is at least one area that the latter excels in.
Due to its popularity and strengths that make it better in certain areas compared to other languages, Rust isn’t likely to go anywhere. Here are 5 reasons why that’s the case:
- It just keeps increasing.
While there are other languages like C++ that do have a bigger community of developers and libraries, Rust’s continues to grow. It already has over 50,000 development tools, frameworks, and libraries that have been created by Rust’s community of developers. Additionally, there’s a subreddit for the language that is highly active.
- It’s highly adaptable.
Commonly referred to a low-level programming language, Rust has good embedding capabilities and excellent for building 3D video games. Its compiler is one of its best features, with the safety of coding following close behind. This helps prevent the use of immutability as well.
- Proficient memory safety is its focus.
When it comes to memory management, Rust excels is protecting code and the data it collects. One of its best functions is its ability to let developers manage memory on top of the values it contains. In fact, keeping memory safe is a primary focus of Rust, as explained by its creator. A strict compiler and notifying the developer of any issues is how Rust helps with that.
- High-performance speed and flexibility are its strengths.
Running quickly, even with performance-critical tasks, is something Rust also does well. This allows Rust to perform faster than Scala and, in some cases, Java. Being statistically typed and holding data without needing overheads aids its performance speed too. By predicting that variables are immutable, Rust is able to be optimized easier and is more flexible.
- It’s backed by major corporations.
Rust is still considered a fairly new programming language. Even many companies who haven’t started using Rust plan to use it at some point in the future. Major corporations like Microsoft admitted to switching several infrastructures within its system over to Rust, though it does plan to continue using C++. Other major corporations using Rust include Mozilla, Dropbox, and Sentry. Even one of the world’s largest businesses, Amazon, has incorporated the language within its system. As Rust becomes even more popular, particularly with such influential companies backing it, this language is sure to continue being a major player in the worldwide development community.