gladsonchala/rust-basics

Rust Basics and Roadmap for Beginners

Rust Programming Course

Beginner Level

1. Introduction to Rust

• What is Rust?
• History and Features of Rust
• Why Learn Rust?
• Rust vs Other Programming Languages

2. Setting Up Rust Development Environment

• Installing Rust Compiler (rustc) and Package Manager (Cargo)
• Choosing a Text Editor or Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
• Configuring Rust Environment Variables
• Creating and Managing Rust Projects with Cargo
• Testing Your Rust Installation

3. Hello World in Rust

• Writing Your First Rust Program
• Understanding main() Function
• Compiling and Running Rust Programs
• Exploring Cargo Commands

4. Variables and Data Types

• Declaring Variables in Rust
• Mutable vs Immutable Variables
• Primitive Data Types: Integer, Floating-Point, Boolean, Character
• Compound Data Types: Tuple and Array
• Type Inference in Rust
• Constants vs Variables

5. Control Flow: Conditional Statements and Loops

• Conditional Expressions: if, else if, else
• Pattern Matching with match
• Looping Constructs: loop, while, for
• Iterating Over Collections with for Loop and Iterators
• Early Exit with break and continue

6. Functions and Modules

• Defining Functions in Rust
• Function Parameters and Return Values
• Function Overloading and Polymorphism
• Modules and the mod Keyword
• Organizing Code into Modules and File System
• Visibility and Access Control

7. Ownership and Borrowing

• Understanding Ownership in Rust
• The Borrowing Mechanism: References (&) and Mutable References (&mut)
• Ownership Transfer: Move Semantics
• Lifetimes in Rust: Ensuring References are Valid
• Managing Memory with Ownership Rules
• Preventing Data Races and Memory Leaks

8. Error Handling with Result and Option

• Error Handling Philosophy in Rust
• The Result and Option Enumerations
• Handling Errors with match and unwrap
• Propagating Errors with the ? Operator
• Custom Error Types and std::error::Error Trait
• Error Propagation Strategies in Real-world Applications

9. Structs and Enums

• Defining Structs: Named Fields and Tuple Structs
• Methods and Associated Functions for Structs
• Defining Enums: Algebraic Data Types
• Pattern Matching with Enums
• Using Enums for Error Handling and State Representation
• Associated Data and Methods with Enums

10. Collections: Vectors, Strings, and HashMaps

• Introduction to Collections in Rust
• Vectors: Dynamic Arrays
• Strings: UTF-8 Encoded Text
• HashMaps: Key-Value Pairs
• Operations and Methods for Working with Collections
• Iterating Over and Manipulating Collections

11. Pattern Matching

• Understanding Pattern Matching Syntax
• Matching Literals, Variables, and Wildcards
• Matching Complex Structures: Tuples, Structs, Enums
• Using Guards in Pattern Matching
• Destructuring and Extracting Values from Patterns
• Exhaustive and Non-exhaustive Patterns

12. File I/O

• Reading and Writing Files in Rust
• Opening and Closing Files with std::fs
• Handling File Operations Errors
• Reading and Writing Text Files
• Working with Binary Files
• File Metadata and Permissions

13. Testing in Rust

• Writing Unit Tests with the #[test] Attribute
• Organizing Tests into Modules
• Running Tests with cargo test
• Testing Private Functions and Modules
• Writing Integration Tests in Separate Files
• Test Annotations and Assertions

14. Concurrency with Threads

• Introduction to Concurrency in Rust
• Creating Threads with std::thread
• Passing Data Between Threads
• Synchronization with Mutexes and Channels
• Thread Safety and Data Races
• Async/Await: Asynchronous Programming in Rust

15. Introduction to Lifetimes

• Understanding Lifetimes in Rust
• Lifetime Annotations and Syntax
• Lifetime Elision Rules
• Lifetime Parameters in Functions and Structs
• Lifetime Bounds and Constraints
• Practical Examples of Lifetimes in Rust Code

Intermediate Level

16. Advanced Error Handling with std::error::Error

• Implementing Custom Error Types
• Using std::error::Error Trait for Error Handling
• Chaining Errors with the cause() Method
• Handling Different Types of Errors in a Single Function
• Error Wrapping and Contextual Information
• Best Practices for Error Handling in Rust

17. Traits and Generics

• Understanding Traits and Trait Bounds
• Implementing Traits for Structs and Enums
• Trait Inheritance and Trait Objects
• Generics: Writing Generic Functions and Types
• Bounds and Constraints on Generic Types
• Advanced Generics: Associated Types and Where Clauses

18. Advanced Data Structures: Arrays, Slices, and Linked Lists

• Working with Arrays and Slices
• Dynamic Arrays with Vec and Box
• Implementing Linked Lists from Scratch
• Using Smart Pointers for Memory Management
• Choosing the Right Data Structure for Performance

19. Functional Programming Concepts in Rust

• Higher-Order Functions and Closures
• Immutability and Pure Functions
• Function Composition and Currying
• Pattern Matching and Recursion
• Laziness and Lazy Evaluation
• Functional Programming Patterns in Rust

20. Smart Pointers: Box, Rc, and Arc

• Understanding Smart Pointers in Rust
• Box: Heap-Allocated Smart Pointer
• Rc: Reference Counted Smart Pointer
• Arc: Atomic Reference Counted Smart Pointer
• Choosing the Right Smart Pointer for the Job
• Handling Shared Ownership and Reference Cycles

21. Advanced Concurrency with std::sync

• Atomic Operations and Atomic Types
• Locking and Mutexes
• Concurrent Data Structures: Mutex, RwLock, Condvar
• Barrier and Semaphore
• Atomic Reference Counting (Arc)
• Best Practices for Concurrent Programming in Rust

22. Pattern Matching with Guards

• Using Guards in Pattern Matching for Conditional Matching
• Syntax and Examples of Guarded Patterns
• Combining Pattern Matching with Guards for Complex Logic
• Matching Ranges, Expressions, and Function Calls
• Practical Applications of Pattern Matching with Guards

23. Macros and Meta-Programming

• Introduction to Macros in Rust
• Syntax and Usage of Macros
• Declarative Macros (Custom Derive, Attribute, Procedural)
• Writing Your Own Macros with macro_rules!
• Macro Hygiene and Fragment Specifiers
• Meta-Programming Techniques and Best Practices

24. Advanced File I/O with std::fs

• Working with Directories: Creating, Reading, and Deleting
• File Metadata: Permissions, Ownership, and Timestamps
• File System Operations: Renaming, Copying, Moving
• File Watching and Event Handling
• Handling Errors and Edge Cases in File I/O Operations
• File System Interaction in Cross-Platform Applications

25. Unsafe Rust: Understanding and Using unsafe Blocks

• Introduction to Unsafe Rust
• When and Why to Use unsafe Blocks
• Unsafe Operations and Raw Pointers
• Unsafe Traits and Functions
• Writing Safe Abstractions with Unsafe Code
• Best Practices and Guidelines for Using Unsafe Rust

26. Customizing println! with std::fmt

• Overview of the std::fmt Module
• Writing Custom Formatters with std::fmt::Display
• Formatting Debug Output with std::fmt::Debug
• Implementing the std::fmt::Formatter Trait
• Advanced Formatting Options and Control
• Integrating Custom Formatters with Your Types

27. Cross-Platform Development with Rust

• Rust Support for Different Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android
• Using Platform-Specific Features and APIs
• Cross-Compiling Rust Code for Different Platforms
• Handling Platform Differences and Compatibility Issues
• Building Portable and Maintainable Rust Applications

28. Introduction to Web Development with Rust

• Overview of Web Development Ecosystem in Rust
• Choosing the Right Web Framework: Rocket, Actix, Warp, etc.
• Building RESTful APIs with Rust
• Handling HTTP Requests and Responses
• Working with Websockets and Real-Time Communication
• Integrating Frontend Frameworks with Rust Backend

Advanced Level

29. Asynchronous Programming with Async/Await

• Understanding Asynchronous Programming Concepts
• Introduction to Futures and Tokio Runtime
• Writing Asynchronous Functions with async and await
• Combining Asynchronous Tasks and Handling Errors
• Performance Optimization Techniques for Asynchronous Code
• Advanced Asynchronous Patterns and Best Practices

30. Advanced Traits and Associated Types

• Exploring Advanced Trait Features: Associated Types, Default Implementations, Supertraits
• Dynamically Sized Types (DSTs) and Trait Objects
• Using Traits for Code Reusability and Abstraction
• Implementing Custom Smart Pointers with Traits
• Advanced Trait Bounds and Constraints
• Trait Specialization and Overlapping Implementations

31. Advanced Meta-Programming with Macros 2.0

• Introduction to Macros 2.0 and Procedural Macros
• Writing Custom Derive Macros for Code Generation
• Implementing Attribute Macros for Annotation and Code Modification
• Using Procedural Macros for AST Transformation
• Macro Internals and Debugging Techniques
• Creating Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) with Macros

32. Interfacing with C and Other Languages

• Integrating Rust with C Code: Foreign Function Interface (FFI)
• Writing Bindings for C Libraries
• Using Rust with Other Languages via Foreign Function Interfaces
• Interoperability with Python, JavaScript, Java, etc.
• Handling Memory and Ownership Across Language Boundaries
• Performance Considerations and Best Practices for Interfacing with Other Languages

33. Performance Optimization Techniques

• Identifying Performance Bottlenecks in Rust Code
• Profiling Rust Applications: cargo-prof, flamegraph, etc.
• Strategies for Memory Optimization: Reducing Allocations, Using Stack Allocation, etc.
• Optimizing CPU Usage: Loop Unrolling, SIMD Instructions, etc.
• Leveraging Compiler Optimizations: Inline Functions, LTO, etc.
• Benchmarking Rust Code with criterion and test

34. Writing Secure Rust Code

• Understanding Common Security Vulnerabilities: Buffer Overflows, Race Conditions, etc.
• Using Safe Abstractions to Prevent Memory Errors
• Handling Input Validation and Sanitization
• Preventing Data Races with Safe Concurrency Patterns
• Securely Handling Cryptography and Authentication
• Using Rust's Ownership Model to Enforce Security Invariants

35. Web Assembly (WASM) and Rust

• Introduction to Web Assembly and its Benefits
• Compiling Rust Code to Web Assembly with wasm-pack
• Integrating Web Assembly Modules with JavaScript
• Building Web Applications with Rust and Web Assembly
• Performance Considerations and Optimization Techniques
• Real-world Applications and Use Cases for Web Assembly

36. Building CLI Applications with Rust

• Designing Command Line Interfaces with clap and structopt
• Parsing Command Line Arguments and Options
• Error Handling and Input Validation in CLI Applications
• Interacting with the File System and External Processes
• Testing CLI Applications with assert_cmd and tempdir
• Packaging and Distributing CLI Applications with cargo and rustup

37. GUI Development with Rust

• Overview of GUI Development Libraries in Rust: gtk, qt, druid, etc.
• Designing User Interfaces with Rust GUI Frameworks
• Handling Events and User Interactions in GUI Applications
• Building Cross-Platform GUI Applications with Rust
• Deploying and Distributing GUI Applications on Different Platforms
• Advanced GUI Features: Custom Widgets, Styling, Animation, etc.

38. Machine Learning with Rust

• Overview of Machine Learning Libraries in Rust: rustlearn, tangram, tract, etc.
• Building Machine Learning Models with Rust
• Preprocessing Data and Feature Engineering
• Training and Evaluating Machine Learning Models
• Deploying Machine Learning Models in Production
• Performance and Scalability Considerations in Rust ML

39. Networking and Distributed Systems

• Introduction to Networking in Rust: tokio, hyper, etc.
• Building Networked Applications with Rust
• Implementing Protocols: HTTP, Websockets, gRPC, etc.
• Distributed Systems Concepts and Architectures
• Fault Tolerance and Resilience in Distributed Systems
• Building Scalable and Reliable Distributed Systems with Rust

40. Rust for Embedded Systems

• Introduction to Embedded Systems Development
• Using Rust for Bare Metal Programming
• Accessing Hardware Resources with Rust
• Cross-Compiling Rust Code for Embedded Platforms
• Writing Device Drivers and Firmware in Rust
• Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) and Rust Integration

Capstone Project

41. Designing and Implementing a Real-World Application in Rust

• Objective:
  • Develop a fully functional real-world application using Rust programming language.
• Project Requirements:
  • Choose a project idea that interests you and aligns with your skill level.
  • Define the scope of the project and outline the features and functionalities.
  • Design the architecture of the application, including data structures, modules, and dependencies.
  • Implement the core features of the application using Rust, following best practices and coding standards.
  • Test the application thoroughly to ensure reliability, performance, and security.
  • Document the project, including installation instructions, usage guidelines, and code documentation.
  • Deploy the application to a suitable environment, such as a local server or a cloud platform.
• Deliverables:
  • Detailed project proposal outlining the project idea, scope, and requirements.
  • Architecture design document describing the components and interactions of the application.
  • Source code of the implemented application, organized into modules and properly documented.
  • Comprehensive test suite covering unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests.
  • Documentation including user manual, API reference, and developer guide.
  • Deployment package or instructions for deploying the application to a production environment.
• Evaluation Criteria:
  • Adherence to project requirements and scope.
  • Clarity and effectiveness of the application architecture.
  • Correctness, efficiency, and readability of the implemented code.
  • Thoroughness and effectiveness of testing strategy.
  • Quality and completeness of project documentation.
  • Successful deployment and usability of the application.
• Resources:
  • Rust programming language documentation and official resources.
  • Online tutorials, forums, and community support for Rust development.
  • Project management tools for planning and tracking progress.
  • Version control systems such as Git for collaborative development.
• Timeline:
  • Week 1-2: Project planning and proposal submission.
  • Week 3-5: Architecture design and initial implementation.
  • Week 6-8: Feature implementation and testing phase.
  • Week 9-10: Documentation, final testing, and deployment.
  • Week 11-12: Finalize project deliverables and presentation.
• Conclusion:
  • The capstone project serves as a culmination of your learning journey in Rust programming, allowing you to apply your skills and knowledge to a practical, real-world scenario. Through this project, you will demonstrate your ability to design, develop, test, and deploy software solutions using Rust, while also gaining valuable experience in project management and collaboration.