Why one should switch to Rust from Java programming language?

Rust is a relatively new programming language in the domain, which is quite similar to C++ if you compare them syntactically, but on the other hand. Rust provides more efficient performance and safety features. It also provides memory safety without the conventional use of a garbage collection system; designed by Graydon Hoare and first appeared on the market back in 2010. Graydon Hoare was an experienced IT scientist at the Mozilla Research division at that moment. Later the other designers created the browser engine for the language and also engineered the Rust compiler. The Rust compiler is a free and open-source programming software under the MIT License and Apache License. In 2016 Rust came into the limelight as the developers started to opt for Rust instead of Java, for Stack Overflow development. Here is the link to the official website for Rust.

Why Rust is being Loved by many developers?

As Rust is more concurrent and safe, it is a perfect choice for developing Stack Overflow. The optimum control over the functions, and the perfect use of memory layout, make Rust a performance-oriented language. Using Rust you can maintain the integrity of a system with even less effort and also you can keep the system safe at the same time without any extra effort.

• Syntax – On the other hand, the similarity of Rust with the most popular C++ language and its syntax, makes it easy to learn and comprehend even for new developers or learners. The syntax of Rust contains various similarities with Programming C and C++, like the usage of if-else, while, for, and return; some of the Rust keywords also do use the technique of pattern matching, which makes it easier to learn. Though the syntax is very similar, Rust is more extensive and deep in terms of functions and features. The language is so extensive that you can find nearly all the parts of each function body as an expression itself, including the control flow operators. In short, Rust, let’s do more with the same standard of understanding of the programming language as you already have in C or C++, which makes it a lucrative choice.
• Memory Safety – If we talk about the safety features of Rust then, Rust is engineered to be memory safe, and it does not permit null pointers, dangling pointers, or data races in the safe code. If you need to initialize a data value, it only can be done through a fixed set of forms, and that would require all the inputs to be initialized prior to the function. Where almost all other languages permit the pointers to be in a valid form or in Null form, but Rust offers an extra set of functions that can test if the pointer has Some or None
• Unorthodox Features – Rust also features extra syntax and functions to manage the lifetimes of functions themselves, and on another side, if there is any sort of unsafe code that needs to write, it can be restricted with the unsafe Rust feature, an ownership feature over all the values, and it only can have one unique owner, and the scope of value itself is same with the value of the unique owner. The &T keyword can value immutably, and by using &mut T you can pass the values mutably. Rust compiler enforces these rules at the time of compilation and also keeps track of if all the references are valid or not.
• Memory Management – Rust does not use the conventional Automated Garbage Collection system, like Java or .NET, also it does not use the Automatic Reference System like Swift or C. Instead of those it manages the memory and other resources by the unique RAII (resource acquisition initialization) convention method. Also, it uses the Optimal Reference Counting method for optimum memory allocation and the Stack Allocation method instead of Implicit Boxing.
• The system of it is based on implementations of Traits and Structured Types. In Rust, the classes are defined with the keyword impl. Inheritance and Polymorphism are provided by traits and allow the developer to allow methods and mix the implementations. Furthermore, Structured Types are used to define different types of fields. Implementation and Traits can not define themselves, and they only can provide Inheritance Data. Rust also supports Interface Inheritance but uses Composition over Implementation Inheritance.

Coding Example of Rust

1. Hello World

fn main() {    
println!("Hello World!");
}

2. Recursive Function

 fn factorial(i: u64) -> u64 {
match i {
0 => 1,
n => n * factorial(n-1)
}}

3. Iterative Function

fn factorial(i: u64) -> u64 {
let mut acc = 1;
for num in 2..=i {
acc *= num;
}
acc
}

Mainstream Rust Projects

If you come to know which software and applications are developed with Rust you may rely on the language a bit more than you used to. Fact is Rust had been used to develop many famous mainstream applications including; Mozilla Firefox, Discord (Voice Chatting App for gamers), Gecko Browser, Tor Browser, GNOME Fractal, Google Fuchsia, Redox OS, Rocket Web Framework, Servo, Terminus DB, Libra (Digital Currency), OpenDNS, etc.

Unique features of Rust

• Very Familiar with Basic C & C++ programming language and Syntax
• The References make sense even for a third-party reader while analyzing the code
• The Ownership system will make sense and it will make it way more featured
• The Cargo is helpful due to logical memory allocation, reference handling, and memory management
• The compiler application is amazing itself.

A programmer’s Point of View on Rust over Java

Switching to Rust from Java is easy even for an intermediate-level programmer. From the start of learning, you feel familiar with the concept and the syntax, which makes learning and coding easy. So, it does not feel like a big step forward, though it is. With Rust, you can explore tons of new types of complex projects, which you were not sure about due to the complexity of Java. For indie developers, perfect resource allocation and good memory management are very necessary things, which is a plus point with Rust.

On another note, in the modern-day where everything runs on IT, there to explore the creativity of any sort of technical field you need to do coding, whether you are a coding guy or not. Therefore complex coding language makes it difficult for noncoders to code something easily, Rust is just the solution for that sort of person. Amateur coders and new learners can test their skills and can explore their creativity with such an easy-to-learn and logical to comprehend kind of programming language.

Conclusion

Switching to Rust from Java is easy and logical, just the programming language itself. Switching does not make you forget all your Java skills, so if needed you can work on Java anytime. But, until then if you keep working with Rust, your productivity would be greater, your resource usage would be optimal, the codes would be safer, and most importantly you would be able to use such extra features and functions which Rust provides. As the unique features of Rust not only make codes more logically easy to comprehend but also create new possibilities to find a solution to a given problem. That’s it from me and my experience on this, goodbye folks.