23.14 Summary

Cargo is the cornerstone of the Rust development workflow, integrating build automation, dependency management, and various development tools into a single, cohesive system. Key takeaways include:

  • Unified Tooling: Combines build system and package manager roles, simplifying project setup compared to C/C++ ecosystems.
  • Core Commands: new, init, build, run, check, test, doc, publish.
  • Manifest: Cargo.toml defines package metadata, dependencies, features, and build profiles.
  • Reproducibility: Cargo.lock ensures consistent dependency versions across builds and environments (crucial for applications).
  • Build Profiles: dev (fast compiles) and release (optimized runtime) with customization options.
  • Extensibility: Supports custom subcommands and integration with tools like rustfmt, clippy, miri, and rustdoc.
  • Workspaces: Efficiently manage multi-crate projects with shared dependencies and build outputs.
  • Distribution: Easily publish libraries and install binaries via Crates.io.

Mastering Cargo is essential for productive Rust development. Its conventions and capabilities foster consistency, reliability, and collaboration within the Rust ecosystem.