1.3 About the Book
There are already several comprehensive books on Rust, including the official guide, The Book, and more advanced resources such as Programming Rust by Jim Blandy, Jason Orendorff, and Leonora F. S. Tindall. For more in-depth learning, Rust for Rustaceans by Jon Gjengset and the online resource Effective Rust are excellent. Additional learning materials like Rust by Example and the Rust Cookbook are also available. Numerous video tutorials exist for those who prefer visual learning.
With such a wealth of resources already available, you might wonder if another Rust book is necessary. Writing a high-quality technical book demands deep expertise, excellent writing skills, and a significant time investment—often more than 1,000 hours. Professional editing and proofreading are also necessary to eliminate errors and ensure clarity.
However, modern AI tools like GPT-4 have changed the landscape of book creation. AI can generate high-quality content, provide answers to specific questions, and even check for errors. While AI-generated content isn’t flawless, it offers a powerful way to produce technical books and guides with fewer resources.
I began learning Rust in late 2023 and quickly noticed there wasn’t a concise Rust book specifically designed for programmers with a background in systems programming, particularly C. I wanted a book that was precise, up-to-date, and tailored for experienced developers. Many existing books spend significant time on basic concepts, which can make them overly verbose for those familiar with systems programming.
After exploring The Book and Programming Rust, I decided to use AI to create a more compact Rust guide. I frequently consulted GPT-4 for Rust-related issues and was impressed with its accuracy. Over time, I started organizing the content systematically, which led to the creation of Rust for C-Programmers.
The rise of AI tools has transformed not only how we write books but also how we access knowledge. With AI tools capable of answering most questions accurately and providing information tailored to an individual's knowledge level and interests, one might question whether we still need books at all. Short introductory or summary-style books may still serve a purpose, but the need for highly detailed books that overwhelm the reader with information seems increasingly doubtful.
This book aims to present the most important aspects of the Rust language while deliberately omitting content that the average programmer may rarely need. It also avoids delving into Rust internals that are irrelevant to most users and might change in future releases. Given Rust's complexity, an overload of details could easily overwhelm or confuse the reader.
In the current online version, we have included some less relevant material in collapsible sections, allowing readers to either skip or explore additional details as needed. For specific or in-depth knowledge not covered in this book, AI tools can quickly provide detailed explanations and examples tailored to the reader's exact needs. Alternatively, specialized books on topics like web, embedded, kernel, or GUI development can be consulted. And finally, when these options don't suffice, the large and helpful Rust community offers various forms of support for those seeking assistance.
The title Rust for C-Programmers reflects the book’s focus on providing a compact introduction to Rust for experienced developers, particularly those familiar with C. While the book is still in its early draft stages, it has the potential to become a valuable resource.
Of course, even with AI assistance, writing a quality book requires careful proofreading and feedback from experienced Rust developers and native English speakers.
When reading the online version of this book, generated by the mdbook tool, you can select different themes from a drop-down menu. The tool also features a powerful search function. If the system font appears too small, most web browsers allow you to increase the text size by pressing "CTRL +". Code examples with hidden lines can be fully revealed by clicking on them, and you can run the examples directly in Rust’s playground. You can also modify the examples before running them, or copy and paste them into the Rust Playground.