Course Appendix

This page will cover parts that may seem ambiguous or not explained as explicitly as other topics (i.e., println!(), macros, etc.). This course is primarily based on the Rust Book, as well as parts of Rust by Example and the Rust Reference. Using these comprehensive and esteemed resources to solidify your learning further is highly encouraged.

Common Formatting & Macros

Throughout this course, the println!() macro will be used excessively, which prints some value to the screen. There are a few different ways this macro can be utilized.

• The two curly brackets indicate a placeholder for some value. Those brackets are called the "format syntax", as they format data into an existing String. For example, println!("Hello, {}", "World") would print "Hello, World". Using this shortcut, most values that implement the Debug or Display trait can be displayed using println!(). Most primitive data types already implement this trait.
• Sometimes, the format syntax {} may be used inline the quotes. For example, println!("{some_variable}") accomplishes the same as above but with a slightly shortened syntax.

Commonly Used Types

• String - this type is not explained till Module 5 of this course. However, it is used beforehand for the sake of an example. The :: accessor is used to access some practical methods, as shown below:
  • String::from("Some text") - Used to create a new String from a string literal.
  • String::new() - Used to create a new, 'empty' instance of a String.