# What is Rust? --- ## The 100-foot view --- ## A free and open-source __systems programming__ language > A language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software. --- ## Hello, World ```rust fn main() { println!("Hello, world!"); } ``` --- ## You can build... <div class="columns"> <div> * Network Services * Command-line Apps * Web Apps * Desktop Apps * Bootloaders </div> <div> * Device Drivers * Hypervisors * Embedded Systems * Libraries/plugins for applications in other languages </div> </div> --- ## Front-end or Back-end? It's applicable at *every point* in the stack! --- ## The Three Words - Safety <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - Performance <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> - Productivity <!-- .element: class="fragment" --> --- ## It's increasingly popular! [Stack Overflow Survey 2023](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2023/#technology-admired-and-desired): > Rust is on its eighth year as the most ~~loved~~ *admired* language with 85% of developers saying they want to > continue using it. Note: Stack Overflow used to use the term *most loved*, which Rust won seven years in a row. In 2023 they changed the terms to *desired* and *admired*. Rust was the *most admired* language in 2023. --- ## Cross-platform * Windows, macOS, Linux * iOS, Android, Web, QNX, Bare-metal, etc --- ## Portable * Source code is portable across multiple architectures: * x86, RISC-V and Arm * Power, MIPS, SPARC, ... --- ## Rust can *import* C-compatible libraries Want to use `zlib`, `OpenSSL`, `SomeSpecialDriverLib`? Sure! --- ## Rust can *export* C-compatible libraries * Python extension modules? [Ok!](https://crates.io/crates/arrow) * Android native libraries? [No problem.](https://cs.android.com/android/platform/superproject/main/+/main:packages/modules/DnsResolver/doh/encoding.rs) * Replace the file parser in your Very Large C++ Application? [Can-do.](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Oxidation) --- ## Where did Rust come from? --- ## A Little Bit of History * Rust began around 2008 * An experimental project by [Graydon Hoare](https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/02/14/1067869/rust-worlds-fastest-growing-programming-language/) * Adopted by Mozilla * Presented to the general public as version 0.4 in 2012 --- ## Focus * Rust lost many features from 2012 to 2014 * garbage collector * evented runtime * complex error handling * etc * Rust oriented itself towards being a usable systems programming language --- ## Development * Always together with a larger project (e.g. Servo) * Early adoption of regular releases * RFC process * Editions --- ## Public Release * First 1.0 release in 2015 * <https://blog.rust-lang.org/2015/05/15/Rust-1.0.html> * "This release is the official beginning of our commitment to stability" * New release *every six weeks* since --- ## Who's in charge now? --- ## The Rust Project <https://www.rust-lang.org/governance> <div class="columns"> <div> * The Leadership Council * Compiler Team * Dev Tools Team * Infrastructure Team </div> <div> * Language Team * Library Team * Moderation Team * Launching Pad Team </div> </div> --- ## Working Groups <div class="columns"> <div> * Async WG * Command-line Interface WG * Embedded devices WG * Game Development WG </div> <div> * Rust by Example WG * Secure Code WG * Security Response WG * WebAssembly (WASM) WG </div> </div> --- ## The Rust Foundation > ... is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to stewarding the Rust > programming language, nurturing the Rust ecosystem, and supporting the set of > maintainers governing and developing the project. --- ## It has a powerful list of members <https://foundation.rust-lang.org/members/> --- ## Who decides on new features? * Discuss in chat/forums * Open a [Request For Change (RFC)](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs) * Relevant team takes a vote * Tracking ticket is created * Pull Request(s) to implement the change * Stabilisation --- ## Summary * Rust is a collaborative open-source project that prides itself on inclusion * There is no "owner", nor "BDFL" * It has strong financial backing * It remains a work-in-progress --- ## Is this a community I can engage with? --- ## A strong Code of Conduct The Rust Project, and pretty much the whole Community, follow a [Code of Conduct](https://www.rust-lang.org/policies/code-of-conduct): > We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for > all, regardless of level of experience, gender identity and expression, sexual > orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, > religion, nationality, or other similar characteristic. --- ## A strong Code of Conduct > Likewise any spamming, trolling, flaming, baiting or other attention-stealing behavior is not welcome. * Builds on efforts in other communities --- ## Why? * Because a community is only as strong as its members > Going beyond technical points, Rust has a vibrant, welcoming community - > ([Stack Overflow Blog](https://stackoverflow.blog/2020/01/20/what-is-rust-and-why-is-it-so-popular/)) --- ## Why? * If you allow both wolves *and* sheep into your space, you won't get any sheep * The Rust Community seems to have a higher than average representation from the LGBTQI+ community --- ## So beginners are welcome? * Absolutely! * Relatively speaking, we're *all* still beginners * You even see open tickets on the rust-lang Github marked as *E-easy: Good first issue*. --- ## This extends to the compiler's interface... * Any Rust error message which is unclear or ambiguous... * ... is considered a bug and will be fixed ... * ... if you open a ticket (or post @ the right people) --- ## Compiler Error Driven Development works! ```text error[E0502]: cannot borrow `name` as mutable because it is also borrowed as immutable --> a.rs:4:5 | 3 | let nickname = &name[..3]; | ---- immutable borrow occurs here 4 | name.clear(); | ^^^^^^^^^^^^ mutable borrow occurs here 5 | println!("Hello there, {}!", nickname); | -------- immutable borrow later used here For more information about this error, try `rustc --explain E0502`. ``` --- ## What does Rust run on? --- ## Host vs Target * The machine you develop on * The machine the program runs on --- ## Rust is a cross-compiler * It uses LLVM to generate machine code * *Every* Rust install is a cross-compiler * No rummaging for extra installers for your specific target --- ## Hosts * Windows (__x86__, Arm) * macOS (__x86__, Arm) * Linux (__x86__, __Arm__, RISC-V, MIPS, Power, S390x, SPARC...) * FreeBSD, NetBSD, Illumos, ... --- ## Targets * All of the above, plus... * Android * iOS/watchOS/tvOS * Bare-metal Embedded * QNX, VxWorks, AIX * WebAssembly * UEFI * Nintendo Switch, Sony PSP and PS Vita... * Add your own! --- ## What does Rust cost? --- ## Rust is Open Source * Under the MIT or Apache-2.0 licences * You can compile `rustc` and `cargo` yourself * <https://github.com/rust-lang/rust> --- ## Binaries are provided free of charge * Available using the `rustup` tool * [AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/opensource/aws-sponsorship-of-the-rust-project/) sponsor the project * Nothing to sign, no USB dongle required --- ## Support is available * There are lots of places you can go for help * Forums, Discord, Reddit * Professional consulting firms * Rust Toolchain vendors --- ## No-one is an expert overnight * Budget for some training * Budget for some time for the team to gain experience * Budget for some support when the team have questions --- ## You might need a bigger computer... > Today, compiling the __Rust compiler__ on a 4-core CPU, that is typically > found in a standard laptop, takes up to 15 minutes with another 5-10 minutes > for tests. However, a 96-core cloud virtual machine can complete the same > build in less than 5 minutes with tests completing in 35 seconds. --- ## Compile time checks vs run-time checks * Rust does a lot of work *up front* * The faster your checks run, the more productive you are! * A Raspberry Pi 4 technically works, but it takes a while... --- ## Can I build safety-critical systems? --- ## Some terminology * a *system* is *certified* as being sufficiently safe/correct * that *system* is often built using *qualified* tools * *quality* is the result of an ongoing process Note: Some industries use the terms *certification* and *qualification* interchangeably. --- ## What is a safety-critical system? Generally built following a standard, like ISO 26262: > ISO 26262 is intended to be applied to safety-related systems that include one > or more electrical and/or electronic (E/E) systems and that are installed in > series production passenger cars with a maximum gross vehicle mass up to 3500 > kg. --- ## What is a safety-critical system? Generally built following a standard, like ISO 26262: > This document describes a framework for functional safety to assist the > development of safety-related E/E systems. This framework is intended to be > used to integrate functional safety activities into a company-specific > development framework. --- ## And for other applications: * __DO-178C__ *Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification* * __IEC 61508__ *Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-related Systems* * __IEC 62278__ *Railway applications - Specification and demonstration of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety* * __IEC 62034__ *Medical device software – Software life cycle processes* * There are many others... --- ## Can I use Rust? * Well you can use C * And C is kinda risky... * But processes have been developed to manage that risk * And C toolchains have been *qualified* so you can rely on them doing what they say they are going to do * If you hold them the right way --- ## Language Specifications * C has *ISO/IEC 9899:2018* (C17) * C++ has *ISO/IEC 14882:2020(E)* (C++20) * Rust doesn't have a standard * The open-source compiler *is* the standard * The first ISO C standard (C90) came 17 years after C was invented, largely because there were a lot of different competing compilers --- ## Ferrocene > Ferrocene is the open-source qualified Rust compiler toolchain for safety- and > mission-critical. Qualified for automotive and industrial development. > > ISO26262 (ASIL D) and IEC 61508 (SIL 4) available for x86 and ARM platforms. --- ## Ferrocene * To produce Ferrocene, we first wrote the *Ferrocene Language Specification* * See <https://spec.ferrocene.dev> * Ferrocene is based on the open-source Rust compiler * Additional testing and run-time checks in the toolchain * Lots of documentation! * Ferrocene itself is open-source software * <https://github.com/ferrocene/ferrocene> * Pricing and support options at <https://ferrocene.dev> * Other companies have similar offerings (ask them!)
