Software Engineering Radio - the podcast for professional software developers

SE Radio 659: Brenden Matthews on Idiomatic Rust

Mar 12, 2025

Brenden Matthews is a seasoned software engineer and author known for his expertise in Rust programming. He dives into the concept of idiomatic Rust, explaining its significance and sharing essential design patterns to enhance code readability. Matthews discusses the power of Generics and Traits, emphasizing effective code management. He introduces valuable tools like Rust Format and Clippy for code improvement and highlights anti-patterns to avoid, including the pitfalls of unwrap(). With insights into macros and safe coding practices, this discussion is a treasure trove for developers seeking to master Rust.

53:54

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Episode guests

Brenden Matthews

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Quick takeaways

Idiomatic Rust involves adhering to best practices and community conventions, enhancing code readability and facilitating collaboration among developers.

Generics and Traits in Rust are crucial for creating flexible and reusable code, enabling developers to handle multiple data types efficiently.

Recognizing and avoiding anti-patterns like excessive use of 'unwrap' helps developers maintain safe coding practices and prevent potential runtime errors.

Deep dives

Understanding Idiomatic Rust

Idiomatic Rust refers to writing code that adheres to best practices, conventions, and established patterns within the Rust programming language. It encompasses not only stylistic choices such as variable naming conventions, which can vary from company to company, but also Rust-specific idioms and patterns that differ from other languages. For instance, Rust emphasizes using snake case for variables and Pascal case for struct definitions, following its unique formatting rules. Learning idiomatic Rust is essential for developers transitioning from other languages, as it equips them with the knowledge to write effective Rust code that aligns with community standards.

Intro

3min

Understanding Idioms and Patterns in Rust

7min

Enhancing Rust Code with Tools

5min

Mastering Rust: Tools, Generics, and Traits

20min

Understanding Rust Macros and Their Applications

2min

Exploring Fluent Interfaces in Rust

5min

Navigating Rust's Safety: 'unsafe' and Error Handling

10min

Exploring Idiomatic Rust Through Standard Resources

2min

Brenden Matthews, a seasoned software engineer, entrepreneur, and author of the Idiomatic Rust and Code Like a Pro in Rust books (both from Manning), speaks with SE Radio host Gavin Henry about Idiomatic Rust. They start with a look at what "idiomatic" means, and then discuss Generics, Traits, common design patterns you'll see in well written Rust code, and anti-patterns to avoid. Matthews suggests some tools that can help you immediately write idiomatic Rust, as well as what building blocks can also help. This episode examines what Generics are and how they compare to other languages, as well as what Traits are, how macros help, what a Fluent Interface is, and why unwrap() is bad. They also discuss what code smells to look out for, Clone, Copy, and a really nice place to go read real-world Idiomatic Rust code.

Brought to you by IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Software magazine.