Getting Started

1. Getting Started#

Welcome to your journey into a new systems programming language! This section will help you take your first steps.

1.1. How do I start writing programs in this new language on my computer?#

Download the installer from the official website and run it. The installer sets up everything you need - the compiler, build tools, and package manager.

On macOS and Linux, run this command:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

On Windows, download and run the installer from the website.

After installation, restart your terminal. You now have access to the complete toolchain.

Create a new project like this:

cargo new hello_world
cd hello_world

This creates a folder with everything needed for your project. It’s similar to creating a Python virtual environment or setting up a CMake project in C++.

Your project contains:

  • A src folder with your code files

  • A Cargo.toml file (like package.json for Node.js or requirements.txt for Python)

  • A .gitignore file for version control

Here’s your first program in src/main.rs:

fn main() {
    println!("Hello, world!");
}

Compare this to other languages:

C++:

#include <iostream>
int main() {
    std::cout << "Hello, world!" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Python:

print("Hello, world!")

1.2. How do I make my first program run?#

This language compiles your code before running it, just like C++.

Build and run your program:

cargo run

This single command compiles your code and runs it. It’s like running make && ./program in C++ or python script.py in Python.

If you only want to check for errors without running:

cargo check

To build without running:

cargo build

For faster builds during development, the default build is unoptimized. For production, use:

cargo build --release

This creates an optimized executable, similar to using -O3 in GCC or Clang.

1.3. What is this ‘cargo’ thing, and how is it like pip/conda or CMake/make?#

Think of it as both pip and make combined into one tool. It handles building your code AND managing external libraries.

Like pip/conda (Package Management):

  • Add dependencies to your project

  • Download and install libraries automatically

  • Handle version conflicts

  • Manage different versions of the same library

Like CMake/make (Build System):

  • Compile your code

  • Link libraries

  • Run tests

  • Create documentation

  • Handle complex build configurations

Common commands:

# Build and run (like 'make && ./program')
cargo run

# Add a library (like 'pip install requests')
cargo add serde

# Run tests (like 'make test')
cargo test

# Generate documentation (like 'make docs')
cargo doc

# Format code (like 'black' for Python)
cargo fmt

# Check for common mistakes (like 'pylint')
cargo clippy

Your Cargo.toml file lists dependencies:

[dependencies]
serde = "1.0"
reqwest = "0.11"

This is like requirements.txt in Python or CMakeLists.txt in C++.

When you build, it automatically downloads and compiles all dependencies. Everything is managed for you.

This tool is called Cargo.

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