Many developers who use Rust are generally happy with how fast their code compiles, but a significant number find slow build times to be a real problem. A recent survey conducted over the past two months by the Rust compiler performance working group gathered more than 3,700 responses to understand how users feel about Rust’s build performance. The results show that, while some users are satisfied, many report that slow builds and rebuilds can seriously impact their productivity.

Most respondents rated their satisfaction with Rust build times as a six out of ten, with the majority giving a seven. However, around 45% of those who decided to stop using Rust cited long compile times as a key reason for their departure. This highlights that build performance remains a concern for nearly half of those who considered leaving Rust.

Varied Experiences Across Different Workflows

The survey revealed that experiences with Rust’s build performance vary widely depending on the user and their workflow. Some developers are quite happy, noting that Rust’s build times have improved a lot over the past few years. They appreciate that the language no longer struggles with slow builds as much as it once did. But others still find the build process sluggish, especially when compared to languages like Go or Zig, which some users feel offer faster compile times.

Getting an exact grip on where slowdowns happen can be tricky. When Rust builds are slow, it’s often hard for developers to pinpoint what part of the process is causing the delay. Some common complaints include waiting too long after small code changes to see the results of incremental rebuilds. Many users also wish Rust could perform hot patching, which would allow updates without full rebuilds.

Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement

Improving Rust’s build performance isn’t as easy as just making the compiler faster. There are many different workflows with different needs, and optimizing for one might not help another. For example, some suggestions involve stabilizing certain language features that could reduce the need for complex build scripts or macros, which in turn could speed up compilation.

The Rust team recognizes that while the compiler is improving each year, many users still need substantial gains in build speed to boost their productivity. The goal is to focus on long-standing initiatives that could make a big difference. This includes efforts to stabilize features that could reduce build times across the ecosystem and exploring new approaches like hot patching.

In the end, it’s clear that while Rust has made progress, slow build times remain a significant pain point for many developers. The Rust community is actively working on solutions, but it will take time to see major improvements that can satisfy those who rely on fast rebuilds for their work.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4057215/survey-pinpoints-rust-compiler-pain-points.html

Sources

• gmpg.org
• rust-lang.org
• podigee.com
• podigee.com