Rust-Based Web Development Tools -- The Future of Infrastructure, but be cautious!
Tags: webdev, javascript, programming, frontend
Published: 2023-04-05 22:20:09

Rust is a modern programming language that has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its performance, safety, and concurrency features. As a result, Rust-based tools are emerging as a potential game-changer in the world of web development infrastructure tools like bundlers, compilers, and others. In this article, we will discuss why Rust-based tools like swc, rspack, turbopack, etc., are the future of web development infrastructure tools, but it's crucial to be careful and conscious while replacing old tools, especially on big old projects.

### Why Rust-based tools?

Rust-based tools are gaining popularity due to their performance, safety, and concurrency features. Rust is a compiled language that offers the performance of C and C++, but without the safety and concurrency issues. Rust provides memory safety and thread safety, making it suitable for building reliable and secure software.

Another significant advantage of Rust is its interoperability with other languages. Rust can be easily integrated with other languages like JavaScript, C, and Python, which makes it ideal for web development infrastructure tools.

Rust-based tools are also lightweight, fast, and provide better optimization, which makes them an ideal choice for building web applications. These tools are designed to be faster and more efficient than their counterparts, resulting in quicker build times, reduced memory usage, and better overall performance.

### Rust-based web development infrastructure tools

Several Rust-based web development infrastructure tools are gaining popularity in the web development community. Here are some of the most popular ones:

#### SWC

SWC (Speedy Web Compiler) is a fast JavaScript and TypeScript compiler written in Rust. It is designed to be faster and more efficient than other compilers like Babel and TypeScript. SWC provides faster compilation times, better memory usage, and better performance. SWC supports a wide range of JavaScript features and can be easily integrated with other web development tools.

#### RSPack

RSPack is a modern and fast web bundler that provides better performance and memory usage than other bundlers like Webpack. It is designed to be faster and more efficient than other bundlers, resulting in quicker build times and reduced memory usage. RSPack supports all the features of Webpack and can be easily integrated with other web development tools.

#### TurboPack

TurboPack is a modern and fast JavaScript bundler that provides faster build times and better performance than other bundlers. It is designed to be lightweight, fast, and easy to use. TurboPack supports all the features of Webpack and can be easily integrated with other web development tools.

### Be cautious while replacing old tools

While Rust-based tools like SWC, RSPack, and TurboPack are the future of web development infrastructure tools, it's essential to be cautious while replacing old tools, especially on big old projects. Replacing old tools with new ones requires time, effort, and careful consideration.

I want to share my own experience with using RSPack (thanks Nick who told me about it) {% embed https://dev.to/nickytonline %}

In my case, I was trying to use rspack to improve the developer experience with `yarn watch`, a command that is heavily used by product developers in my company. The main requirement was that recompilation must be blazingly fast in our giga-huge project. However, I faced a problem with rspack not supporting `css-loader`. This is a major issue, as we rely heavily on `css-loader` options when using webpack for complex multi-stage CSS building.

While we already have PostCSS, it looks like I need to rewrite the entire CSS build process using it. Rust-based tools like rspack are not drop-in replacements for existing tools, even for small tasks. It may require a lot of work to switch to these tools and requires careful consideration, especially for larger projects. However, with the potential for faster and more reliable builds, it's definitely worth exploring these tools further.

Replacing old tools with new ones may break existing code, and it's essential to test the new tools thoroughly before using them in production. It's also important to consider the learning curve for the new tools and make sure that the team members are trained to use them.

### Conclusion
Rust-based tools are emerging as a potential game-changer in the world of web development infrastructure tools. These tools provide better performance, memory usage, and optimization, making them an ideal choice for building web applications. However, it's crucial to be cautious while replacing old tools, especially on big old projects, and make sure to test the new tools thoroughly before using them in production.