7.4 Summary

In this chapter, we examined Rust’s primary control flow constructs, comparing them to their C equivalents:

  • Conditional Statements:

    • if, else if, else, and the requirement that conditions be boolean.
    • Using if as an expression in place of C’s ternary operator.
    • The importance of type consistency when if returns a value.

  • The match Statement:

    • A powerful alternative to C’s switch, featuring pattern matching and no fall-through.
    • Exhaustiveness checks that ensure all cases are handled.

  • Looping Constructs:

    • The loop keyword for infinite loops and its ability to return values.
    • The while loop for condition-based iteration.
    • The for loop for iterating over ranges and collections.
    • Labeled break and continue for controlling nested loops.

  • Key Rust vs. C Differences:

    • No implicit conversions for conditions.
    • A more expressive pattern-matching system.
    • Clear, non-fall-through branching.

Rust’s focus on explicitness and type safety helps prevent many common bugs. As you continue your journey, keep practicing these control flow mechanisms to become comfortable with the nuances that set Rust apart from C. In upcoming chapters, we’ll explore advanced control flow, including deeper pattern matching, error handling with Result and Option, and powerful constructs such as if let and while let.