Why I switched from JS to Rust

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their transition from JavaScript and TypeScript to Rust, highlighting the motivations behind their decision. They discuss the initial introduction to Rust through team discussions, the language's popularity, and its solutions to memory safety issues in systems programming. The speaker emphasizes Rust's accessibility for web developers and the personal desire to deepen their understanding of low-level programming. Reflecting on their choice, they conclude that learning Rust was a valuable decision, enhancing their skills and positioning them well in the job market as Rust's popularity continues to rise.

Takeaways

• 😀 The presenter switched from JavaScript/TypeScript to Rust to improve their programming skills and tackle low-level programming challenges.
• 🚀 Rust is gaining popularity and is often referred to as the most loved programming language according to Stack Overflow surveys.
• 🔧 Rust provides memory safety without sacrificing performance, addressing a critical issue in software development.
• 📦 The language includes built-in tools for dependency management and has a public package registry (crates.io), making it accessible for developers.
• 📚 The Rust community offers excellent documentation and resources, such as the Rust book, facilitating the learning process.
• 💡 The transition to Rust helped the presenter fill a knowledge gap in low-level programming, expanding their overall understanding of computer science.
• 🔍 Personal growth and skill diversification were key motivators for learning Rust, alongside existing expertise in JavaScript and TypeScript.
• 📈 Learning Rust is viewed as a strategic move for future career opportunities, given its growing momentum in the tech industry.
• 🛠️ The experience with TypeScript emphasized the value of a strongly typed system, which is a significant advantage Rust offers.
• 🗣️ The presenter encourages viewers to consider the potential of Rust and to explore its features to enhance their software development capabilities.

Q & A

What prompted the speaker to consider learning Rust?

The speaker was influenced by senior engineers on their team who were enthusiastic about Rust and its capabilities, along with seeing its potential to solve significant problems in systems programming.

How did the speaker's experience with TypeScript affect their decision to switch to Rust?

The speaker appreciated the type safety and flexibility of TypeScript, which made them recognize the value of a strongly typed system, thus increasing their interest in learning Rust.

What were the speaker's concerns regarding memory management in programming?

The speaker noted that manual memory management is error-prone, leading to security vulnerabilities, and highlighted that Rust addresses these issues by providing memory safety without sacrificing performance.

What external factors contributed to the speaker's decision to learn Rust?

External factors included the hype surrounding Rust, its recognition in the Stack Overflow survey as the most loved programming language, and its effective solutions to memory safety and dependency management.

What personal motivations did the speaker have for learning Rust?

The speaker wanted to fill a knowledge gap in low-level programming, expand their software development skills, and increase their competitiveness in the job market.

What tools and resources did the speaker find helpful when learning Rust?

The speaker found Rust's build tools, package manager, great error messages, documentation, and free resources like the Rust book particularly helpful.

What comparison did the speaker make regarding programming languages and their development process?

The speaker compared building software with JavaScript to building with Rust, likening it to constructing a house with clay versus using bricks and mortar, emphasizing the robustness of Rust.

How did the speaker view the potential of Rust for the future?

The speaker believed that learning Rust positioned them well to catch the early wave of its adoption, which could lead to significant career benefits as the language gains traction.

Did the speaker have any doubts about their decision to learn Rust?

No, the speaker concluded that learning Rust was the right decision, providing them with a deeper understanding of computer science and valuable skills that remain relevant as Rust's popularity grows.

What does the speaker encourage viewers to do at the end of the video?

The speaker encourages viewers to get a free Rust cheat sheet from their website and to share their thoughts on the video content.