A Beginner’s Guide to Rust: Networking

This guide explains how to start writing network applications in Rust with a basic TCP client and server. Networking is a core part of modern software, and Rust provides the tools to build reliable and efficient network services. We’ll focus on TCP/IP, the family of protocols that powers the internet.

💻 Understanding TCP vs. UDP

The two most well-known protocols in the TCP/IP family are TCP and UDP. It’s important to know the difference:

• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): This is a reliable protocol. It guarantees that data packets are delivered, arrive in order, and provides feedback to control the rate of data flow. It’s used for most applications where data integrity is crucial, like web browsing (HTTP) and email.
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol): This is an unreliable, connectionless protocol. It does not guarantee delivery or order. Packets can be lost, duplicated, or arrive out of order. It’s used for applications where speed is more important than perfect reliability, such as video streaming or online gaming.

💻 Building a Basic TCP Client

A TCP client connects to a server, sends a message, and reads a response. The std::net::TcpStream module is the primary tool for this.

use std::io::{Read, Write};
use std::net::TcpStream;

fn main() {
    // Connect to the server
    let mut stream = TcpStream::connect("127.0.0.1:8080").unwrap();
    // Write a message
    stream.write(b"Hello, server!").unwrap();
    // Read the response
    let mut buf = [0; 20];
    stream.read(&mut buf).unwrap();
    println!("Response: {:?}", &buf);
}

💻 Building a Basic TCP Server

A TCP server listens for incoming connections on a specific IP address and port. The std::net::TcpListener is used to create the server.

use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
use std::thread;

fn handle_request(mut stream: TcpStream) {
    // Echo logic here
}

fn main() {
    let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:8080").unwrap();
    for stream in listener.incoming() {
        match stream {
            Ok(stream) => {
                thread::spawn(move || {
                    handle_request(stream)
                });
            }
            Err(e) => { println!("Failed: {}", e) }
        }
    }
}

This server accepts connections in a loop and spawns a new thread for each one, allowing it to handle multiple clients concurrently.

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