December 6, 2024

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Why You Should Learn Rust, Especially If You’re New to Programming

Why You Should Learn Rust, Especially If You’re New to Programming

Rust is not just another programming language — it’s a way of seeing code differently. If you’ve never seen code before and are only now learning about languages from the base level, you should learn Rust because it teaches you how to write “safe” code.


Why You Should Learn Rust

If you’re new to coding and have checked out the recipe manager app we built previously, you’ll know that Rust can be a very powerful programming language. Rust is a relatively new language designed for building efficient and reliable applications. It combines the best parts of existing languages with elements that make it portable yet lightweight.


So, why should a beginner consider learning Rust? It’s a very straightforward language that doesn’t hide much of what it does under weird syntaxes. Moreover, a beginner can easily pick up Rust and figure it out on the fly without going through a long learning period. It’s designed to offer a robust language that doesn’t have a steep learning curve.


However, the biggest reason a beginner should learn Rust is also the reason many experienced programmers picked the language up. Rust instills solid coding habits in a programmer from the start. Some industry standards exist that self-taught coders are unaware of until they’re in a work environment. Learning Rust helps to instill those behaviors from the get-go.

What Makes Rust Great for Beginners

A programmer programming a bug.
Africa Studio / Shutterstock

Rust might be a new language, but it’s already developed quite a following among developers because of how it approaches code. For a beginner, that means that there are many resources out there that can help you when you encounter something you’ve never seen before. Among the things that make Rust easier to learn for a beginner include:


Deep Error Message Logging

Have you ever noticed how some compilers give you errors but don’t give you a proper idea of what the error means? When I coded a game in Unity using ChatGPT, I ran into a few of those. With Rust, you don’t feel stifled or lost when you get an error message. It’s straightforward and even suggests the best use of your code. Other languages would be more approachable if they started doing this.

Strict But Supportive Compiler

Compilers turn code from a programming language into machine code that the system can run. Some compilers operate like an Amazon warehouse house supervisor, rapping you on your knuckles whenever you make a mistake. Rust’s compiler is more like a teacher, telling you what you did wrong and offering helpful suggestions to get your code working.

No Manual Memory Management

One of the things I downright hated about C++ was memory management, but Rust has none of that. Instead, Rust teaches you how to use its ownership system, which automatically allocates memory in RAM for the program elements. It’s quick and straightforward without requiring you to understand the details of memory allocation.


When I started with Rust, I was unsure if I wanted to learn a new language, partially because I thought I’d ask stupid questions and get yelled at by more experienced devs. It turns out the Rust community is actually quite supportive. If you don’t know something and post about it, you’ll likely get a response that points you to the right answer, even if it’s been asked before.

While there are compelling reasons for whether you should learn Rust as a beginner or not, there are just as many benefits for someone with some development experience.

Automatic Memory Management and Built-In Safety

The thing that stood out the most to me when I started learning Rust was how easy it was to manage memory and how few memory leaks there were, even when I knew very little about the language at the start. Rust’s overarching goal to make a “safe” language removes issues like buffer overruns and null pointer references through its borrowing system. It also has a borrow-checker to make sure you don’t accidentally screw up your memory locations.


Highly Optimized Code That’s Easy to Write

Most developers know that writing optimized code usually means sacrificing an intelligible language for something closer to bare metal, like C. Thanks to how Rust’s compiler works, you don’t need to sacrifice a choice of language to produce efficient, responsive programs. The language uses traits and pattern matching alongside a robust struct and enum system that seems like an upgrade to the C family of languages.

How to Get Started Learning Rust

A laptop with some code on the screen and a mouse cursor.
Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Yurich / Shutterstock

Unlike me, most people don’t have fifteen months to dedicate to a deep dive into a language. However, whether you’re a beginner or an expert, here are a few excellent resources you can use to learn Rust quickly:

Rust’s Official Website

The official Rust website is great for getting an idea of what Rust is about and installing it on your system. It also has tutorials on integrating it with your favorite IDE. (I use VS Code specifically for Rust projects now, and you can even set it up to be totally portable).


The Rust Programming Language

If you’re old-school and prefer learning a language from a book, The Rust Programming Language (also known as The Rust Book) is one of the best-written resources about the language.

Rustlings

If you’re more of a hands-on developer, you should check out a GitHub project called Rustlings. The project gives you a few simple Rust programs that’ll teach you the language basics right in the terminal.

Build Your Own Rust Projects

One of the most significant issues for beginner developers is ending up in tutorial hell, where they just follow one tutorial after another without designing anything themselves. Building your own Rust projects and uploading them to GitHub is sometimes even better than a resume.

Is It Worth It to Learn Rust?

Although Python and JavaScript are more accessible and widespread, Rust offers some of the best fundamental knowledge any programmer can have. Beginners learn about safe coding practices from the start and don’t have to worry about memory leaks. Experienced developers get the flexibility of an easily read language alongside the speed of a low-level language.


While becoming a Rust developer can be lucrative, it’s more than just landing a well-paying programming job. The principles a beginner learns from Rust make it easier to navigate other languages. If I were a beginner all over again, I’d jump at the chance to learn Rust because of all the bad habits it cuts off right from the start.

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