Why I switched from JS to Rust

Why I Switched from JavaScript/TypeScript to Rust

In this video, the speaker shares their experience of switching from JavaScript/TypeScript to Rust. They discuss the pain points in system programming and how Rust solves them. The speaker also talks about personal reasons for learning Rust.

Introduction

• The speaker introduces the topic of why they switched from JavaScript/TypeScript to Rust.

• The speaker talks about their background as a web and mobile developer for five years before learning Rust.

Pain Points in System Programming

• The speaker discusses the value of a strongly typed type system and how it helps maintainable production-ready code.

• The speaker talks about exploring different ideas for getting rid of duplication between code bases, including rewriting common logic in a language that could be integrated into all code bases.

• The speaker explains how they heard about Rust because their team was considering using it, and senior engineers on their team were enthusiastic about the language.

• The speaker discusses external factors that convinced them to learn Rust, such as hype around the language, great error messages, documentation, and free resources like the rustling book.

How Rust Solves Pain Points

• The speaker explains how memory safety is a technical problem that rust solves without sacrificing performance.

• The speaker compares managing dependencies, building codebases, and distributing applications in C++ versus Rust. They explain how rust comes with a build tool and package manager included and has a public package registry called crates.io similar to npm.

• Because Russ was so accessible with great error messages, documentation, and free resources like the rustling book. It was going to open up systems programming to a whole new demographic of developers.

Personal Reasons for Learning Rust

• The speaker saw that Rust had a lot of momentum and was still in the early stages of a big wave. They thought if they could catch this wave, it would be beneficial for their career.

Reflection on Switching to Rust

• The speaker reflects on whether switching to Rust was a mistake or not.

Learning Rust: A Valuable Skill Set

In this video, the speaker discusses their decision to learn Rust and how it has impacted their skill set and career prospects.

Benefits of Learning Lower Level Programming

• Learning lower level programming allows for the creation of a wider range of software, including embedded software and operating systems.

• Knowledge of Rust has given the speaker a deeper understanding of computer science.

• The newfound knowledge makes the speaker more competitive in the job market.

Advantages of Knowing JavaScript, TypeScript, and React

• The speaker already had a highly employable skill set with these technologies.

• This skill set can always be relied upon as a fallback option.

Conclusion

• Learning Rust was definitely the right decision for the speaker.

• Rust's momentum is not slowing down anytime soon.