rust - my first impressions

I have recently delved into the world of Rust programming language, and I must say, it has been an exhilarating experience. As a self taught programmer who primarily works with other languages such as R and Python, Rust has challenged me to think in new ways and has significantly improved my understanding of the computer system as a whole.

1. One of the first things that struck me about Rust is its emphasis on safety and memory management. The language's ownership system, which includes concepts like borrowing and lifetimes, ensures that I don't have to worry about memory leaks or dangling pointers. With Rust, I can write confident, fearless code, knowing that it will be free from common runtime errors.

2. The syntax of Rust itself is elegant and concise, reminding me somewhat of the simplicity and readability of Python. Despite being a systems-level programming language, it doesn't feel cumbersome or overly verbose like other systems programming languages like C or C++.

3. I must mention the rust complier, it's not another compiler, it's like a fellow programmer who looks at your code and tells you "look here this code might be wrong". Look at the below snapshot, how nicely it guides you to the error!

error[E0425]: unresolved name `println` --> hello2.rs:2:5 | 2 | println("Hello, World!"); | ^^^^^^^ did you mean the macro `println!`?

1. Another aspect of Rust that has captivated me is its thriving community and documentation. Whether it's seeking help on the official Rust forums or browsing through the vast library ecosystem, I have found the community to be incredibly supportive and knowledgeable.

2. Furthermore, the tooling around Rust is fantastic. The package manager, Cargo, has simplified dependency management and project structure significantly.

3. If there is one drawback to Rust, it would be the learning curve. As a newcomer, it took me some time to fully grasp the intricacies of Rust's ownership model and borrow checker. In fact, I found that learning Rust has improved my understanding of systems-level programming.

In conclusion, my journey with Rust has been nothing short of amazing. The language's focus on safety, its elegant syntax, and the supportive documentation make it an excellent choice for self learning programmers like me.

Rust has opened up new opportunities and expanded my horizons, and I am excited to continue exploring its potential in future projects.