Google Allocates $1 Million to Improve Portability Between C++ and Rust

Google’s latest move, as the tech giant invests $1 million in the Rust Foundation to enhance Rust and C++ interoperability.

Rust Continues to Steal the Spotlight

Last week, we reported Microsoft’s strategic shift towards Rust, intending to embrace it for critical applications such as Office 365. Now, Google joins the Rust momentum by investing $1 million in enhancing the compatibility between Rust and C++, focusing on expanding Rust’s footprint within the Android platform. This grant is more than a financial contribution; it’s a strategic investment set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Android development.

Beyond the grant, Google is reinforcing its commitment to the Rust open-source community. In addition to funding, Google is aggregating and publishing audits for Rust crates utilized in various open-source projects. These efforts, coupled with previous contributions to interoperability, underscore Google’s optimism regarding Rust’s future. The company has witnessed substantial growth in Rust’s use within the Android ecosystem and is now actively promoting its adoption across diverse applications, spanning clients and server hardware.

Moreover, the grant aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance tools facilitating portability between C++ and Rust. Notable tools such as cxx, autocxx, bindgen, cbindgen, diplomat, and crubit have been crucial in breaking down barriers, accelerating the adoption of Rust. While these tools often cater to specific projects or companies, Google’s grant aims to address industry-wide challenges, focusing on speeding up Rust’s adoption within Google and across the entire IT market.

Foundation & Future

The Rust Foundation, established in 2021 with support from industry giants like AWS, Huawei, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla, plays a central role in overseeing the Rust language ecosystem. Beyond supporting key maintainers and decision-makers, the foundation is pivotal in organizing funding for critical projects. With the recent infusion of funds from Google, the Rust Foundation plans to hire dedicated developers working full-time on initiatives to improve portability between Rust and C++. The funds may also be allocated to expedite the development of existing projects focused on ensuring code portability.

The focus on interoperability with C++ is strategic, aiming to benefit Google’s Android platform and catalyze Rust adoption industry-wide.

Via Google Blog

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