What are generics and traits in Rust?

What are generics and traits in Rust?

Generics in Rust allow you to write flexible and reusable code by defining functions, structs, or enums that can operate on different types. Traits, on the other hand, define shared behavior that types can implement, enabling polymorphism.

Can you give me an example of how to use generics?

Sure! Here's a simple example of a generic function that takes a slice of any type and returns the first element:

fn first<T>(slice: &[T]) -> Option<&T> {
    slice.get(0)
}

What about traits? How do they work?

Traits are like interfaces in other languages. You define a trait with methods, and then types can implement that trait. For example:

trait Speak {
    fn speak(&self);
}

struct Dog;

impl Speak for Dog {
    fn speak(&self) {
        println!("Woof!");
    }
}

How do generics and traits work together?

Generics can be constrained by traits, allowing you to specify that a generic type must implement a certain trait. For example:

fn make_speak<T: Speak>(animal: T) {
    animal.speak();
}