Write your next C extension in Rust on 26 September 2018

It’s a good time to learn about the Rust programming language. It’s seen some serious production use, gathered from hundreds of companies that are using Rust every day. It’s received some extremely positive endorsements from experienced, influential software developers. But rather than ask you, “Have you considered rewriting it in Rust?”, I would like to ask you a slightly different question: “Have you considered writing your next C extension module in Rust?”

Experimenting with a new language at work requires lots of courage - from you and your team. Every language makes promises about performance and/or productivity. Yet you’re still reading a blog post about another programming language.

The ideal project for gaining that courage is an experimental project that’s low risk, yet has the potential to speed up your app. Writing an extension means there is no need to jump into a hot bath, you can see how the language fits within your organization before undertaking any migrations.

Why use Rust to build C extensions?