Object Oriented Programming in Rust

Summary

In this video, Bogdan explores the object-oriented programming features of Rust, discussing its classification and key characteristics: objects, encapsulation, and inheritance. He explains how Rust uses structs and enums to represent objects and encapsulates data through public APIs. While Rust does not support traditional inheritance, it leverages traits for code reuse and polymorphism through generics and trait objects. The video highlights Rust's unique approach to these OOP principles, making it an intriguing choice for developers interested in modern programming paradigms.

Takeaways

• 😀 Rust is influenced by multiple programming paradigms, including object-oriented programming.
• 🛠️ Structs and enums in Rust serve a similar purpose to objects in traditional OOP, encapsulating data and methods.
• 🔒 Encapsulation in Rust hides implementation details, allowing external code to interact only through a public API.
• 📜 By default, all items in Rust are private, and the `pub` keyword is used to expose them.
• 📊 The `AveragedCollection` struct is a practical example of encapsulation, managing its internal average without exposing its fields.
• ➕ The methods `add`, `remove`, and `average` manipulate the internal state of `AveragedCollection`, illustrating how encapsulation maintains integrity.
• 🚫 Rust does not support traditional inheritance; structs cannot inherit fields and methods from other structs.
• 📏 Traits in Rust provide a means for code sharing and can define behavior reusable across types.
• 🔄 Generics and trait objects in Rust facilitate polymorphism, allowing different types to be treated interchangeably.
• 📚 The video encourages viewers to engage with the channel and offers a Rust cheat sheet for further learning.

Q & A

What are the three main characteristics of object-oriented programming discussed in the video?

The three main characteristics are objects, encapsulation, and inheritance.

How does Rust handle objects?

In Rust, structs and enums hold data and provide methods through implementation blocks, functioning similarly to objects in other languages.

What does encapsulation mean in the context of Rust?

Encapsulation in Rust means hiding the internal implementation details of a struct, allowing external code to interact with it only through a public API.

How does the `pub` keyword affect visibility in Rust?

The `pub` keyword is used to make items public, allowing them to be accessed from outside the module, while everything is private by default.

Can you provide an example of encapsulation in Rust?

An example is the `AveragedCollection` struct, which keeps its fields private and provides public methods to modify and access its data, ensuring the average is updated internally.

Does Rust support inheritance like traditional OOP languages?

No, Rust does not support inheritance in the traditional sense; structs cannot inherit fields and methods from other structs.

What alternatives does Rust provide for code sharing instead of inheritance?

Rust uses traits to define shared behavior, allowing multiple types to implement the same functionality.

What is the purpose of traits in Rust?

Traits allow developers to define methods that can be implemented by different types, facilitating code reuse and polymorphism.

What are generics, and how do they relate to OOP in Rust?

Generics allow for type abstraction in Rust, enabling functions and structs to operate on different types while maintaining type safety.

What is the difference between static and dynamic dispatch in Rust?

Static dispatch resolves method calls at compile time, while dynamic dispatch (using trait objects) resolves them at runtime, allowing for more flexible behavior.