Saturday, June 30, 2018

Running Rust

Every strong computer language comes with conceptually useful mnemonics, and Rust is no exception. We use Cargo to build and crates to define dependencies.  I'm just starting down the Rust rabbit hole, in anticipation of OSCON.  So far: no regrets.

Contemporary frameworks take for granted a canonical tree structure, with given paths, such as /target/debug versus /target/release in the case of Rust.  Use cargo check more than cargo build, skipping the final step of building the executable.  In some cycles, all you need to know is your code will compile.  Actually running it is not a requirement, and indeed might slow down the development process.

The idea of extending Python with Rust or even implementing Python in Rust someday, has of course crossed my mind. However I don't depend on this idea as a sole source of motivation, when it comes to wading in as a newbie.  The humbling effect of wading in as a newbie has intrinsic value. 

However I'd prefer to explore a rabbit hole with a reputation, such as the one in Alice in Wonderland.  One wishes for wonders, in exchange for one's labors.