Microsoft Embraces Rust: What It Means for Developers

🔄Microsoft is actively migrating its core Windows code to Rust and rewriting core Windows libraries in the Rust language.

💼Microsoft is hiring a principal software architect to enable the adoption of Rust in the M365 core platform.

🔒Rust is preferred over C and C++ due to its memory safety features, mitigating memory bugs and improving security.

⚡Google also supports the Rust programming language for developing the Android OS, recognizing its memory safety benefits.

💡Learning Rust can make developers more well-rounded and open up opportunities at companies like Microsoft, Google, and the US government.

Why is Microsoft migrating its core Windows code to Rust?

—Microsoft is migrating to Rust because it offers improved memory safety and performance compared to C and C++. By rewriting core Windows libraries in Rust, Microsoft can reduce memory bugs and improve security.

What is the M365 core platform?

—The M365 core platform is the foundation beneath applications like Microsoft 365. Microsoft is forming a new team focused on enabling the adoption of Rust in the M365 core platform to modernize global-scale services.

Why is Rust preferred over C and C++?

—Rust is preferred over C and C++ because of its memory safety features. Rust's ownership model and automatic memory management mitigate memory bugs that can occur in C and C++, making it a more secure and reliable language.

Does Google also support the Rust programming language?

—Yes, Google supports the Rust programming language for developing the Android OS. Rust, along with Kotlin and Java, is now supported by the Android Open Source Project for developing the OS itself.

How can learning Rust benefit developers?

—Learning Rust can make developers more well-rounded and open up opportunities at companies like Microsoft, Google, and even the US government. As more companies adopt Rust for memory safety and performance, developers with Rust skills will be in high demand.

00:00Microsoft is actively migrating its core Windows code to Rust and rewriting core Windows libraries in the Rust language.

00:57Microsoft is hiring a principal software architect to enable the adoption of Rust in the M365 core platform.

01:08Rust is preferred over C and C++ due to its memory safety features, mitigating memory bugs and improving security.

01:23Google supports the Rust programming language for developing the Android OS, recognizing its memory safety benefits.

04:35Learning Rust can make developers more well-rounded and open up opportunities at companies like Microsoft, Google, and the US government.