Programming

This is the final tutorial in our Rust series. We bring together everything you learned — ownership, error handling, async, web APIs, databases, and CLI tools — into one complete project. We will build LinkShort, a URL shortener. It has two parts: A REST API — create, list, and redirect short links (Axum + SQLx) A CLI tool — manage links from the terminal (Clap + Reqwest) By the end, you will have a working application that you can run locally, extend, and deploy. ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned variables, types, and functions. Now we tackle the most important concept in Rust — ownership. Ownership is what makes Rust unique. It is the reason Rust has no garbage collector, yet never leaks memory. Every Rust programmer must understand ownership. Once you get it, the rest of Rust clicks into place. Why Ownership Exists Most languages manage memory in one of two ways: Garbage collector (Java, Kotlin, Go, Python) — A background process finds and frees unused memory. Simple for the programmer, but uses extra CPU and can cause pauses. Manual management (C, C++) — The programmer allocates and frees memory. Fast, but easy to make mistakes — use-after-free, double-free, memory leaks. Rust takes a third approach: ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned about ownership. We saw that passing a value to a function moves it, and you cannot use it anymore. That works, but it is limiting. What if a function only needs to read the data? What if it needs to modify it but give it back? You should not have to move ownership every time. This is where borrowing comes in. Borrowing lets you use a value without taking ownership of it. The value stays with the original owner. ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned file I/O. Now we learn macros — one of Rust’s most powerful features for code generation. Macros let you write code that writes code. They run at compile time and expand into regular Rust code. You have already used macros like println!(), vec![], and format!(). Now you will write your own. What Are Macros? A macro is a pattern that expands into code at compile time. When you write println!("hello"), the compiler replaces it with the actual printing code before compilation. ...

In the previous tutorial, we built CLI tools with Clap. Now we learn File I/O — reading files, writing files, working with paths, and walking directories. File I/O is something every program needs. Rust makes it safe and explicit. Every file operation returns a Result, so you always handle errors. No silent failures. No corrupted data. Path and PathBuf Before reading or writing files, you need to understand paths. Rust has two path types: ...

In the previous tutorial, we built a database-backed API with SQLx. Now we switch gears and learn Clap — the most popular library for building command-line tools in Rust. CLI tools are one of Rust’s sweet spots. Fast startup, small binaries, no runtime needed. Tools like ripgrep, bat, fd, and exa are all written in Rust. Clap handles the argument parsing so you can focus on the logic. By the end of this tutorial, you will build a complete CLI tool with subcommands, flags, and validated arguments. ...

In the previous tutorial, we built a REST API with Axum using in-memory storage. Now we add a real database with SQLx. SQLx is an async database library for Rust. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. Unlike ORMs, SQLx lets you write plain SQL while still being type-safe. It can even check your queries at compile time against a real database. In this tutorial, we use SQLite because it needs no server setup. Everything you learn applies to PostgreSQL and MySQL too — just change the connection string and SQL dialect. ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned to make HTTP requests. Now we build the other side — a REST API server with Axum. Axum is a web framework built on top of Tokio and Tower. It is fast, type-safe, and ergonomic. Unlike some other frameworks, Axum uses standard Rust types and traits. There are no macros on your handler functions. Everything is just regular async functions. Setting Up Add these dependencies to your Cargo.toml: ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned Serde for serialization. Now we use those skills to make HTTP requests with Reqwest — the most popular HTTP client in Rust. Most real applications talk to APIs. Whether you fetch data, send forms, or call microservices, you need an HTTP client. Reqwest makes this easy while staying fully async. Setting Up Add these dependencies to your Cargo.toml: [dependencies] tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] } reqwest = { version = "0.12", features = ["json"] } serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] } serde_json = "1" The "json" feature on reqwest enables built-in JSON parsing with Serde. ...

In the previous tutorial, we learned advanced error handling. Now we learn Serde — the serialization framework that powers most data handling in Rust. Serde converts Rust structs and enums to and from formats like JSON, TOML, YAML, and more. It is not just a JSON library. Serde separates “what to serialize” from “what format to use.” You write #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)] once, and your type works with every supported format. Setting Up Add Serde and the formats you need to Cargo.toml: ...