9
AleCx04
258d

Read online some time ago that "Rust libraries that have not been updated in a bit are not abandoned, they are practically done"

And I find that beautiful, but because I am more commonly associated with rapid breaking bs a-la JS (among other languages) then I do not know if this makes me anxious or paranoid.

Comments
  • 4
    Hmm. Why should it be for rust different than other languages? But I agree, a lib can just be done especially if it doesn't have dependencies that have to update. I prefer to write some extra instead of adding a small dependency. B64 encoding in C for example. 30 lines, single file. I just add it to mii own source
  • 2
    Rust's dead. Long live crab lang and stuff!
  • 1
    It's a dangerous mindset imho.

    Rust compiles by default statically, thus the runtime contains hardcoded dependencies / stdlib.

    This means that when the statically linked in dependencies have any kind of security flaw, you won't get around to recompile it.

    If you cannot recompile it cause you ignored updating the main rust binary "cause it's done" for too long, you end up with the usual nightmare(s).

    Goes for dynamic library linking, too. Just in a different way ;)

    Moral of the story: It's never done.

    Make sure to keep a Bot happy and let them live a senseful life by automatically updating dependencies / lang toolchain versions to catch surprises early.

    Makes the life of a dev also way easier.
  • 3
    That's just Rust fanboyism.

    Some libraries of *any language* that haven't been updated in a while could be considered done. Perhaps they are done and there's nothing else to add, or perhaps they're abandoned and some glaring security flaw has gone unchecked.

    Granted some languages make this more likely than others, but there's definitely nothing special about Rust that means "old libraries are fine to use because they were written perfectly so never have to be changed."
  • 2
    @IntrusionCM see that is the thing, you mentioned the idea of "Security flaw" and the rust community believe that memory safety is the only thing they need to concern themselves with.

    That is why I said: Anxious and paranoid
  • 1
    @AleCx04 what an argument tbh. Java / Go / Python are memory safe too
  • 1
    @retoor indeed, as with anything else that causes hype tbh. I still greatly enjoy the language tho
  • 1
    @AleCx04 learning a new language is always joy. It makes your brain active and creative again. I'm building a language according to a book. Since I'm doing this, I'm happy and sharp as f
  • 1
    that is one big critcism i have on rusts dependency system. If it depends on a library, it will depend on a specific version of the library, so if their dependencies have not the correct version, and you want to cross use data from these dependencies, they are suddenly not compatible (even though the have the same name etc.)

    In simpler terms, if you use a extension library for say a UI library, you have to make sure, that the version of the ui lib the maintainer uses is atleast compatible with the version you use, otherwise it won't work, or you would need to downgrade, both things i really don't like and want to avoid.

    So yeah, if the libraries have no dependencies, that hold true forever, in the realworld this unfortunately doesn't happen often..
  • 1
    Ooeeh, write something to isolate dependencies per package. Some parameter to crate. Something that refactors the dependencies name to lib__dependancy_name
  • 1
    @retoor nice, which book? I have several on the subject :D all with the intention of ever finishing creating one lol
  • 2
    @AleCx04 craftinginterpreters it's called. It's written by a guii now working at dem Google dart language. Which one did you read?
  • 1
    @retoor that is one of the ones I started learning as well! Have not gone too far though. The other one is Writing and Interpreter/Compiler in Go by Thorsten Ball (this one I did finish, both books actually, a while back tho so I can't remember much) and the other one that I have is Build your Own Programming Language by Clinton Jeffrey, the creator of a language known as Unicon. Last but not least is the dragon book, I have a printed copy sitting in my bookshelf, but I have not used it.
  • 1
    @retoor in a hundred thousand years probably every dictionary word will be postfixed with 'lang'.

    even the words that dont exist yet.
  • 1
    @AleCx04 I was far in dem book but lost all work. It was so much. The book is a real dedication / study. Dem writer is a God. First pages of the book: "To my dog, I miss your stupid face"
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