Preface

This book exists because learning Rust and learning how to run a Rust project are two different things. There are excellent resources for the language itself: The Rust Book, Rust by Example, to name just a few. But once you know the syntax and the borrow checker, you still need to figure out how to structure a codebase, set up CI, manage dependencies across a workspace, write tests that actually catch bugs, and ship the result to users. There are established patterns in the Rust community, but that knowledge is scattered across blog posts, README files, and tribal experience. I wrote this book to bring it together in one place.

The book assumes you already know Rust. It is not a language tutorial. Instead, it focuses on the practical side of running a Rust project: how to organize code, which tools to use for formatting, linting, testing, and benchmarking, how to set up continuous integration, how to document and release your work, and how to make good choices when the ecosystem gives you several options. Where possible, I try to explain the tradeoffs rather than just prescribing a single answer.

Much of what is in here comes from years of working with Rust professionally and learning from open-source projects, and from studying how well-run projects in the ecosystem handle the same problems. I have tried to make it information-dense and practical: something you can read through once to get the lay of the land, and come back to later when you need to set up a specific tool or make a specific decision.

Rust is not perfect, but it is a language that rewards investment. The tooling is good, the ecosystem is maturing rapidly, and the community cares deeply about quality. I hope this book helps you build on that foundation, and helps give you the tools you need to structure your project well, so that you can focus on writing great code and get the most out of the ecosystem.