Jeffrey Olson, "Functional Programming in Rust"
Channel: Houston FPUG
Date: 2021-11-25

Rust is a systems-level programming language that has generated a lot of buzz in the developer community since it’s public announcement in 2011 and subsequent 1.0 release in 2015. It aims for the trifecta of performance, safety and concurrency. Envisioned as a safer, “benefits of hindsight” language that can learn from the rough edges of C/C++, it nevertheless sparks interest in a much larger population of programmers.

Anyone familiar with Rust’s type system or its principal architects knows that it has a lot to offer those interested in functional programming, but what are the limits of that? The language also has a reputation for complexity, verbosity and some key FP-related limitations such that it may be off-putting to functional enthusiasts used to other FP-focused platforms.

In this talk we will chart a course by which to explore the functional capabilities of the language, while approaching the “limits” hinted at above. This talk will also include a cursory introduction to the language, it’s historical context, tooling, platform support and of course: your questions.

Bio: Jeffery Olson is currently a Senior Solutions Designer working at Insperity in Kingwood, TX. His path to programming passes through an early enthusiasm for Linux/FOSS software since the late 90s, a stint in the Army and a tech career starting in Seattle before moving to Houston in 2014. He began contributing to Rust in 2012, working mostly in the standard library, contributing initial versions of the network and filesystem APIs. His perspective is shaped by an interest in understanding the needs of, then solving real problems for, customers along with a lifelong curiosity for computing technology that has led him all over the map.