23.1 Overview
Cargo underpins much of the Rust ecosystem. Its core capabilities include:
- Project Initialization: Quickly set up new library or binary projects.
- Dependency Management: Fetch and integrate crates (Rust packages) from Crates.io or other sources with ease.
- Build & Run: Handle incremental builds, switch between debug and release profiles, and run tests.
- Packaging & Publishing: Automate packaging and versioning for library or application crates.
By the end of this chapter, you will be comfortable handling crucial aspects of Rust projects, from everyday operations (building and running) to more advanced tasks such as publishing your own crates.
A Note on Build Systems and Package Managers in Other Languages
- C and C++: Often rely on a combination of build systems (Make, CMake, Ninja) plus separate package managers (Conan, vcpkg, Hunter), requiring extra integration and configuration steps.
- JavaScript/TypeScript: Typically use npm or Yarn for dependencies and Webpack or esbuild for bundling.
- Python: Uses pip and virtual environments for dependencies. Tools like setuptools or Poetry manage packaging and builds.
- Java: Maven and Gradle handle both builds and dependencies in a single system, somewhat like Cargo.
Cargo stands out by unifying both build and dependency management in one tool, enabling consistent workflows across Rust projects.