Source: Logrocket
A lot of debate has been sparked over the past few years between rust vs go as programming languages. In particular, the tech industry has had passionate arguments about the best language to use.
The design aspect of the debate is important because it influences how easy a language is to learn. If a language has a complicated syntax, it will be difficult to learn and use effectively.
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What is Rust?
Rust is a new programming language from Mozilla Corporation and other open-source developers. It was designed to be a lower-level systems programming language that is very similar in style to C++.
One of the design goals was to allow the programmer to think in terms of ownership and borrowing.
What is Golang?
Go is a programming language from Google designed to be very similar in style to the C family of languages and Java. One of the design goals was to make the language easy to learn and use.
Go does not support pointers and does not include any runtime type checking.
To learn more about Rust vs. Go, please refer to Yalantis’s article.
Rust Use Cases
Rust is primarily used in the development of operating systems, in particular, the Linux kernel.
It is also used for developing other applications and by companies.
Advantages of Rust
1. Simple Syntax
The result of a Rust program is always the type of the values stored in variables.
As long as all variables have valid types, there are no compilation and runtime errors.
2. Safe and Concurrent Programming
It has a standard library designed to handle threading, memory management, and concurrency issues well; that’s why is rust so popular right now.
3. Zero Cost Abstractions
Rust is great at preventing runtime errors. It forces you to write code in a very explicit style so that every variable is named and has a specific type.
Why switching go to Rust is preferred because of this feature.
4. Ownership and Borrowing
Rust is also great at preventing type errors. The reason for this is that the compiler tracks ownership of data and prevents functions from modifying data that they do not own.
Disadvantages of Rust
1. Complex Syntax
Rust has a very complex syntax that takes some time to get used to. It is not recommended for beginners, but intermediate and advanced programmers may end up liking it.
2. No Runtime Type Checking
Rust does not have runtime type checking, which means that you must always specify the types of all variables, or the compiler will not know what you mean and report errors when running the code.
3. Simple Data Types
Rust’s data types are very simple, and the language does not support inheritance or any other type of polymorphism.
Some people like this feature, but others prefer to have more complex data types that can be used to create complex structures.
4. Imprecise Variables
Rust’s syntax also promotes imprecise variable names as it makes it easier to accidentally use the wrong variable in a function.
Go Use Cases
Bots are often programmed in Go, commonly used to take pictures, control robotic arms, or find the best route around town.
Go can also be used for web development because it is easy to create services.
Advantages of Go
1. Strong Libraries
Go has a rich set of libraries that are easy to use and well-documented. Go also has a rich standard library that includes everything from networking to file I/O.
2. Fast Performance
Go programs tend to be very fast, especially when compared to other alternatives. In many cases, Go programs run as fast as C and C++ programs while being easier to write, maintain and read.
3. Support for Concurrency
Go is designed to be a safe, easy-to-use, and fast programming language for concurrent programming.
4. Deployment
If you want to deploy an application written in Golang, it is very easy to do so because the language is statically compiled.
Disadvantages of Go
1. Zero Cost Abstractions
Go does not force you to think about the ownership and type of data.
This means that you can easily cause a buffer overrun bug or use the wrong variable and not even realize it until it is too late.
2. Lack of Type Checking
Go also lacks type checking at compile time, meaning that you must specify all variables and their types every time you declare a variable.
3. Simple Data Types
It has a single data type that can hold any variable number of values. This means that you cannot create complex structures or hierarchies of related values.
Rust vs. Go Comparison
1. Rust vs. Go Performance
Go tends to be faster than Rust because its standard library is so well integrated with the language, but Rust is safer, more secure, and easier to use. This clearly shows rust vs go performance
2. Tooling
Go has a better tooling system than Rust because Go was designed to be used with multiple tools from the beginning, while Rust did not have this as a goal when it was designed.
3. Ease of Use
Go’s standard library is easier to use than the Rust standard library. In particular, Go has tools that make the creation of complex variables easy, while Rust currently has no such tools.
4. Productivity
Go does not support inheritance or other design patterns, so it does not help you create a large, complicated software product as Rust does.
You should use Go if you want to create a large program or a program that needs to run on multiple platforms with little or no modification.
You should use Rust if you want to create a system that is secure and well-protected from data corruption or if you want to create a complex software product that uses multiple design patterns.