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Rust and C++ Inter-operability

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33:01

EOC 2024

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Tobias Hunger

Tobias has been working with C++ and contributing to C++ tooling for over a decade. He made the switch to Rust two years ago and is working on a UI toolkit written in Rust today.

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Topics Covered

C++Tools Rust

Talk

Rust and C++ Inter-operability

Tobias Hunger

33:01 EOC 2024

Tobias Hunger

33:01

Rust promises to enable everybody to write reliable and efficient software. Many embedded developers find this a tempting offer, but what about all the C++ code?

This presentation takes a look at different approaches for Rust and C++ code to interoperate.

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What did Tobias Hunger identify as the practical common ABI to use when making Rust and C++ binaries communicate?

A Use the C ABI / C foreign function interface (C FFI) as the common interface.

B Rely on Rust's stable ABI since the Rust compiler guarantees cross-version compatibility.

C Rely on the C++ ABI because it is standardized and consistent across compilers.

D Use C++ name-mangling conventions to directly share complex C++ types without an ABI.

E Share templates/generics across languages so the compilers generate compatible code.

Why does the presenter say calling C++ code from Rust is considered 'unsafe' in Rust?

A 'Unsafe' means the Rust compiler did not verify a certain set of properties for that code (it can't reason about external code).

B 'Unsafe' means the called C++ code is guaranteed to crash at runtime.

C 'Unsafe' means the C++ code is malicious or intentionally insecure.

D 'Unsafe' means the Rust runtime will automatically insert runtime safety checks which slow down execution.

E 'Unsafe' means the C++ code will always leak memory when called from Rust.

Which tool did Tobias recommend for a bidirectional, evolving Rust <-> C++ interface where an interface description generates both Rust and C++ bindings?

A Use the cxx crate to describe the shared interface and generate both sides.

B Use bindgen to automatically generate both Rust and C++ interfaces with no manual work.

C Use cbindgen because it parses C++ headers and produces both Rust and C++ stubs.

D Use the cpp crate for large-scale generated bindings between evolving Rust and C++ code.

E Use diplomat or UniFFI because they are the standard tools for bidirectional Rust/C++ bindings.

Regarding build integration of Rust into a mostly C++ project, which approach did Tobias recommend as the most efficient way to get started?

A Use your existing C++ build tooling to drive cargo (i.e., have the C++ build system invoke cargo/build the Rust part).

B Replace cargo and use a unified third-party build tool that directly builds both Rust and C++ in one project format.

C Always make cargo drive the entire C++ build system because cargo is designed to orchestrate complex C++ projects.

D Manually compile Rust and C++ separately and then hand-link object files without integrating build tools.

E Rewrite the entire C++ project in Rust so you no longer need to integrate build systems.

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