JavaScript, HTML/CSS, Python and other such programming languages are highly common and are actively being used by developers. However, some interesting trends have emerged in recent years. Rust is one notable one. It is a language that has captured the admiration of developers worldwide. Let us understand about it in brief in this article.
Rising Popularity of Rust
Stack Overflow’s 2023 Annual Developer Survey reveals that Rust ranks 14th in the list of most commonly used programming languages. However, it is the number one in the list of most admired programming language. More than 80% of developers have expressed a desire to use it again in the next year. They have used it in the past. Hence, it can be said that a strong affinity for Rust exist among the experienced developers.
The Popularity of Programming Language Index highlights further the growing appeal of Rust. The Index analyzes frequency of language tutorial searches on Google. The index also reveals that Rust has experienced the most significant growth in the period of past five years. The growth is 2.1% and it highlights the increasing curiosity as well as demand for it in the programming community.
Unique Appeal of Rust
Rust was developed by Graydon Hoare, a programmer at Mozilla, as a personal project in 2006. He was inspired from a frustrating experience with a malfunctioning elevator in his apartment block in Vancouver. A software crash forced him to trek up 21 flights of stairs. He was motivated to create a language that can write small and fast code without memory bugs. The primary focus is on memory safety. Performance is the foundation of Rust.
Rust 1.0 was released in 2015. It immediately gained popularity. It has witnessed growth since then. The naming is from a group of fungi known for specialization and resilience. Rust has the same quality. Its design and functionality is worth appreciating.
Role of AI in Rust’s Adoption
The dramatic rise of AI has played a significant role in the growing popularity of Rust. GitHub’s Octoverse report reveals a spike in individual contributors to generative AI projects. The growth is 148% year-over-year. The surge is partly due to the suitability for AI applications in Rust.
Discord’s engineers rewrote one of their systems in Rust in 2020. It resulted with a 10x increase in speed. The example illustrates potential of the language to optimize performance in various applications. The language is also being used in web development, network programming, system programming, game development and data science backends.
Major Companies Embracing Rust
Several major companies have adopted Rust for their critical systems. Dropbox uses it to sync files to the computers of users and ensure smooth as well as efficient operations. Cloudflare relies on Rust to process more than 20% of all the internet traffic. It highlights the capacity of Rust to handle high-volume data processing. Similarly, Meta has also utilized the language to redesign some of its software that manages internal source code. All these highlights the versatility and reliability of Rust.
Becoming a Rustacean
Rust Foundation offers free resources to help aspiring developers to learn about it and become proficient in it. Rust enthusiasts are affectionately known as “rustaceans.” They can tap into a supportive community. They can tap a wealth of educational materials and thereafter can master the language.
Job Market and Compensation
Tech industry is witnessing massive layoffs lately, but the demand for software developers has not gone down. Developers with Rust skills are highly being sought after. Developers can command top salaries in high-paying locations such as Switzerland, Norway and Denmark. Skilled developers can earn somewhere between €80,000 and €100,000 in a year. The robust demand and competitive compensation make Rust an attractive language. It is perfect for career growth and financial stability.
Verdict
The emergence of Rust as a favorite programming language among developers is no surprise. It has a unique combination of performance, memory safety and versatility as well. Rust has proven itself as a language that can meet the evolving needs of the programming community. More and more developers are gradually discovering the benefits of Rust. Its popularity is believed to continue growing. It will simultaneously be strengthening its position as a cornerstone of modern software development. Ruse can be explored by a seasoned programmer and also by a starter. It is a valuable addition to skillset. It opens the doors to exciting opportunities and advancements in the tech industry.
