diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'src/doc/book/nostarch/foreword.md')
-rw-r--r-- | src/doc/book/nostarch/foreword.md | 41 |
1 files changed, 41 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/doc/book/nostarch/foreword.md b/src/doc/book/nostarch/foreword.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..2265e2714 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/doc/book/nostarch/foreword.md @@ -0,0 +1,41 @@ +# Foreword + +It wasn’t always so clear, but the Rust programming language is fundamentally +about *empowerment*: no matter what kind of code you are writing now, Rust +empowers you to reach farther, to program with confidence in a wider variety of +domains than you did before. + +Take, for example, “systems-level” work that deals with low-level details of +memory management, data representation, and concurrency. Traditionally, this +realm of programming is seen as arcane, accessible only to a select few who +have devoted the necessary years learning to avoid its infamous pitfalls. And +even those who practice it do so with caution, lest their code be open to +exploits, crashes, or corruption. + +Rust breaks down these barriers by eliminating the old pitfalls and providing a +friendly, polished set of tools to help you along the way. Programmers who need +to “dip down” into lower-level control can do so with Rust, without taking on +the customary risk of crashes or security holes, and without having to learn +the fine points of a fickle toolchain. Better yet, the language is designed to +guide you naturally towards reliable code that is efficient in terms of speed +and memory usage. + +Programmers who are already working with low-level code can use Rust to raise +their ambitions. For example, introducing parallelism in Rust is a relatively +low-risk operation: the compiler will catch the classical mistakes for you. And +you can tackle more aggressive optimizations in your code with the confidence +that you won’t accidentally introduce crashes or vulnerabilities. + +But Rust isn’t limited to low-level systems programming. It’s expressive and +ergonomic enough to make CLI apps, web servers, and many other kinds of code +quite pleasant to write — you’ll find simple examples of both later in the +book. Working with Rust allows you to build skills that transfer from one +domain to another; you can learn Rust by writing a web app, then apply those +same skills to target your Raspberry Pi. + +This book fully embraces the potential of Rust to empower its users. It’s a +friendly and approachable text intended to help you level up not just your +knowledge of Rust, but also your reach and confidence as a programmer in +general. So dive in, get ready to learn—and welcome to the Rust community! + +— Nicholas Matsakis and Aaron Turon |