10 Best Use Cases of Rust Programming Language in 2023
In 2021, Rust piqued my interest in learning a new programming language though I was comfortable with Ruby and Javascript. You could say maybe the hype it was getting at that time got me intrigued. Anyways.
Rust is a systems programming language that is focused on safety, speed, and concurrency. So, what does it mean?
In nutshell, it means Rust is best suitable for developing low-level software that interacts closely with the constrained hardware.
As I have been a Ruby developer mostly 90% of my software programming life, so far, thus for me to understand all this I needed to read a lot of Rust books and play with coding a lot in Rust.
Here is a simple comparison between Rust and Ruby programming languages which you can refer to if you are also struggling to divulge into Rust from the Ruby world:-
| Feature | Rust | Ruby |
|------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
| Type of language | Systems programming language | High-level scripting language |
| Focus | Safety, speed, and concurrency | Productivity and ease of use |
| Performance | Fast and efficient | Slow compared to compiled languages |
| Memory Management| Strict, enforced by compiler | Automatic, handled by garbage collector|
| Concurrency | Designed for concurrent ops | Limited concurrency features |
| Error handling | Focuses on preventing errors | Tolerates errors, often raises errors |
| Syntax | Low-level, syntax is more rigid | High-level, syntax is more flexible |
| Use cases | Low-level systems programming | Web development, scripting, prototyping |Most of the developers coming from Ruby, PHP, Python, Java, Javascript, etc consider Rust as any other web development programming language, however, I strongly feel it is suitable for developing software that is meant to be run on constrained hardware powering embedded devices, IoT, Robots, Industrial Automation devices, Automobile Devices, etc.
Let’s explore the top 10 use cases of Rust Lang in 2023:-
Which are the 10 Best Use Cases for Rust Lang?
IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a rapidly growing field, and Rust has found a significant use case in this area.
IoT devices typically have limited resources, and Rust’s memory safety and low-level control make it an excellent choice for developing embedded systems.
Rust’s ability to handle concurrency makes it suitable for applications that require handling multiple connections.
Embedded Systems
Rust’s focus on memory safety and control has made it an excellent choice for developing embedded systems.
Embedded systems are used in a wide range of applications, including medical devices, aerospace, and automotive systems.
Rust’s features make it suitable for developing low-level hardware drivers and operating systems.
Robotics
Robotics is another area where Rust has found a lot of use cases.
Robotics requires real-time processing, and Rust’s low-level control and memory safety make it ideal for developing real-time applications.
Rust’s concurrency features make it possible to handle multiple threads efficiently, which is essential in robotics applications.
Industrial Automation
Industrial automation is another area where Rust has found a lot of use cases.
Industrial automation involves controlling complex systems, and Rust’s focus on safety and low-level control makes it ideal for developing control systems.
Rust’s ability to handle concurrency also makes it suitable for handling multiple devices simultaneously.
Automobiles
Automobiles are becoming more connected, and Rust’s memory safety and concurrency features make it an excellent choice for developing software for cars.
Rust can be used to develop software for various components of a car, including engine control units, infotainment systems, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Devices
Rust’s focus on memory safety and control makes it an excellent choice for developing software for various devices.
Rust’s ability to handle concurrency also makes it suitable for developing software for devices that require real-time processing.
Rust can be used to develop software for a wide range of devices, including cameras, smart home devices, and wearables.
AR/VR
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming increasingly popular, and Rust has found a lot of use cases in this area.
Rust’s low-level control and memory safety make it suitable for developing real-time applications that require low latency and high performance.
Rust’s concurrency features also make it possible to handle multiple threads efficiently, which is essential for developing AR/VR applications.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is another area where Rust has found a lot of use cases.
Rust’s performance and memory safety make it an excellent choice for developing machine learning algorithms.
Rust’s concurrency features make it possible to handle multiple threads efficiently, which is essential for developing high-performance machine learning applications.
Rust’s memory safety also makes it easier to write secure machine-learning code.
Gaming
Rust has also found a lot of use cases in the gaming industry.
Rust’s performance and memory safety make it an excellent choice for developing games that require low latency and high performance.
Rust’s concurrency features also make it possible to handle multiple threads efficiently, which is essential for developing complex game engines.
Network Programming
Rust’s low-level control and memory safety make it an excellent choice for developing network applications.
Rust’s concurrency features also make it possible to handle multiple network connections efficiently.
Rust’s memory safety also makes it easier to write secure network code.
Is it easy to write CLI apps in Rust?
Hmm, I tried converting a simple 15 lines CLI app, written in bash, which basically downloaded the latest NodeJS and then set this version as my current Node version.
However, the code I ended up with was more than 30 lines and wasn’t easy to understand for a new Rust developer. The bash code is easy to read and understand what it is doing.
You can find the bash code here at https://medium.com/@dansalias/node-versions-without-nvm-cb9cdc0566b6, it is written by Daniel Young.
Below is my Rust code:-
use std::env;
use std::fs;
use std::io::{self, Write};
use std::process::{Command, ExitStatus};
fn prepare() -> io::Result<()> {
let directory = format!("{}/.node-versions", env::var("HOME").unwrap());
fs::create_dir_all(directory)?;
Ok(())
}
fn install(version: &str) -> io::Result<()> {
prepare()?;
let package = format!("node-v{}-linux-x64.tar.xz", version);
let url = format!("https://nodejs.org/download/release/v{}/{}", version, package);
let output = Command::new("wget").arg(&url).arg("-P").arg(&format!("{}/.node-versions", env::var("HOME").unwrap())).output()?;
print_output(&output);
let output = Command::new("tar").arg("-xf").arg(format!("{}/.node-versions/{}", env::var("HOME").unwrap(), package)).arg("-C").arg(format!("{}/.node-versions", env::var("HOME").unwrap())).output()?;
print_output(&output);
Ok(())
}
fn switch(version: &str) -> io::Result<()> {
let node_path = format!("{}/.local/bin/node", env::var("HOME").unwrap());
let npm_path = format!("{}/.local/bin/npm", env::var("HOME").unwrap());
let node_version_path = format!("{}/.node-versions/node-v{}-linux-x64/bin/node", env::var("HOME").unwrap(), version);
let npm_version_path = format!("{}/.node-versions/node-v{}-linux-x64/bin/npm", env::var("HOME").unwrap(), version);
// Check if the specified Node version is installed
if !fs::metadata(&node_version_path).is_ok() {
writeln!(io::stderr(), "Node version {} is not installed. Please install it first.", version)?;
std::process::exit(1);
}
// Remove existing Node and npm symlinks, if they exist
let _ = fs::remove_file(&node_path);
let _ = fs::remove_file(&npm_path);
// Create new symlinks
let _ = std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&node_version_path, &node_path)?;
let _ = std::os::unix::fs::symlink(&npm_version_path, &npm_path)?;
Ok(())
}
fn print_output(output: &std::process::Output) {
io::stdout().write_all(&output.stdout).unwrap();
io::stderr().write_all(&output.stderr).unwrap();
}
fn print_usage() {
println!("Usage: node-switch <command> [version]");
println!("Commands:");
println!(" prepare Create the .node-versions directory");
println!(" install <version> Download and install the specified Node version");
println!(" switch <version> Switch to the specified Node version");
}
fn main() -> io::Result<()> {
let args: Vec<String> = env::args().collect();
if args.len() < 2 {
print_usage();
return Ok(());
}
match args[1].as_str() {
"prepare" => prepare(),
"install" => install(&args[2]),
"switch" => switch(&args[2]),
_ => {
print_usage();
Ok(())
}
}
}I would say it is easy to write CLI apps in a bash shell script than in Rust. However, for limited hardware resources, it would be best to use Rust to write CLI apps.
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