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Chapter 2. The Cargo build tool

Cargo is a build tool and front end for the Rust compiler rustc as well as a package and dependency manager. It allows Rust projects to declare dependencies with specific version requirements, resolves the full dependency graph, downloads packages, and builds as well as tests your entire project.

Rust Toolset is distributed with Cargo 1.71.1.

The Cargo build tool uses set conventions for defining the directory structure and file placement within a Cargo package. Running the cargo new command generates the package directory structure and templates for both a manifest and a project file. By default, it also initializes a new Git repository in the package root directory.

For a binary program, Cargo creates a directory project_name containing a text file named Cargo.toml and a subdirectory src containing a text file named main.rs.

2.2. Creating a Rust project
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Create a new Rust project that is set up according to the Cargo conventions. For more information on Cargo conventions, see Cargo directory structure and file placements.

Procedure

Create a Rust project by running the following command:

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

    $ cargo new --bin <project_name>
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
    • Replace <project_name> with your project name.

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

    $ cargo new --bin <project_name>
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    • Replace <project_name> with your project name.
Note

To edit the project code, edit the main executable file main.rs and add new source files to the src subdirectory.

Additional resources

2.3. Creating a Rust library project
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Complete the following steps to create a Rust library project using the Cargo build tool.

Procedure

To create a Rust library project, run the following command:

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

    $ cargo new --lib <project_name>
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
    • Replace <project_name> with the name of your Rust project.

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

    $ cargo new --lib <project_name>
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
    • Replace <project_name> with the name of your Rust project.
Note

To edit the project code, edit the source file, lib.rs, in the src subdirectory.

Additional resources

2.4. Building a Rust project
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Build your Rust project using the Cargo build tool. Cargo resolves all dependencies of your project, downloads missing dependencies, and compiles it using the rustc compiler.

By default, projects are built and compiled in debug mode. For information on compiling your project in release mode, see Building a Rust project in release mode.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • To build a Rust project managed by Cargo, run in the project directory:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo build
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo build
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
  • To verify that your Rust program can be built when you do not need to build an executable file, run: 
$ cargo check
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2.5. Building a Rust project in release mode
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Build your Rust project in release mode using the Cargo build tool. Release mode is optimizing your source code and can therefore increase compilation time while ensuring that the compiled binary will run faster. Use this mode to produce optimized artifacts suitable for release and production.
Cargo resolves all dependencies of your project, downloads missing dependencies, and compiles it using the rustc compiler.

For information on compiling your project in debug mode, see Building a Rust project.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • To build the project in release mode, run:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo build --release
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo build --release
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
  • To verify that your Rust program can be build when you do not need to build an executable file, run: 
$ cargo check
Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

2.6. Running a Rust program
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Run your Rust project using the Cargo build tool. Cargo first rebuilds your project and then runs the resulting executable file. If used during development, the cargo run command correctly resolves the output path independently of the build mode.

Prerequisites

Procedure

To run a Rust program managed as a project by Cargo, run in the project directory:

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

    $ cargo run
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

    $ cargo run
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
Note

If your program has not been built yet, Cargo builds your program before running it.

2.7. Testing a Rust project
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Test your Rust program using the Cargo build tool. Cargo first rebuilds your project and then runs the tests found in the project. Note that you can only test functions that are free, monomorphic, and take no arguments. The function return type must be either () or Result<(), E> where E: Error.

By default, Rust projects are tested in debug mode. For information on testing your project in release mode, see Testing a Rust project in release mode.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • Add the test attribute #[test] in front of your function.

  • To run tests for a Rust project managed by Cargo, run in the project directory:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo test
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo test
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

2.8. Testing a Rust project in release mode
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Test your Rust program in release mode using the Cargo build tool. Release mode is optimizing your source code and can therefore increase compilation time while ensuring that the compiled binary will run faster. Use this mode to produce optimized artifacts suitable for release and production.
Cargo first rebuilds your project and then runs the tests found in the project. Note that you can only test functions that are free, monomorphic, and take no arguments. The function return type must be either () or Result<(), E> where E: Error.

For information on testing your project in debug mode, see Testing a Rust project.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • Add the test attribute #[test] in front of your function.

  • To run tests for a Rust project managed by Cargo in release mode, run in the project directory:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo test --release
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo test --release
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

2.9. Configuring Rust project dependencies
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Configure the dependencies of your Rust project using the Cargo build tool. To specify dependencies for a project managed by Cargo, edit the file Cargo.toml in the project directory and rebuild your project. Cargo downloads the Rust code packages and their dependencies, stores them locally, builds all of the project source code including the dependency code packages, and runs the resulting executable.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. In your project directory, open the file Cargo.toml.

  2. Move to the section labelled [dependencies].
    Each dependency is listed on a new line in the following format: 

    crate_name = version
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    Rust code packages are called crates.

  3. Edit your dependencies.

  4. Rebuild your project by running:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo build
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo build
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

  5. Run your project by using the following command:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo run
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo run
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

2.10. Building documentation for a Rust project
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Use the Cargo tool to generate documentation from comments in your source code that are marked for extraction. Note that documentation comments are extracted only for public functions, variables, and members.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • To mark comments for extraction, use three slashes /// and place your comment in the beginning of the line it is documenting.
    Cargo supports the Markdown language for your comments.

  • To build project documentation using Cargo, run in the project directory:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      $ cargo doc --no-deps
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      $ cargo doc --no-deps
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The generated documentation is located in the .target/doc directory.

Complete the following steps to install the WebAssembly standard library.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  • To install the WebAssembly standard library, run:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      # yum install rust-std-static-wasm32-unknown-unknown
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      # dnf install rust-std-static-wasm32-unknown-unknown
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  • To use WebAssembly with Cargo, run:

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

      # cargo <command> --target wasm32-unknown-unknown
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

      Replace <command> with the Cargo command you want to run.

    • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

      # cargo <command> --target wasm32-unknown-unknown
      Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

      Replace <command> with the Cargo command you want to run.

2.12. Vendoring Rust project dependencies
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Create a local copy of the dependencies of your Rust project for offline redistribution and reuse using the Cargo build tool. This procedure is called vendoring project dependencies. The vendored dependencies including Rust code packages for building your project on a Windows operating system are located in the vendor directory. Vendored dependencies can be used by Cargo without any connection to the internet.

Prerequisites

Procedure

To vendor your Rust project with dependencies using Cargo, run in the project directory:

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: 

    $ cargo vendor
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

  • On Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9: 

    $ cargo vendor
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
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