Crafting a Linked List with Raw Pointers in Rust
Dive deep into unsafe Rust by implementing a high-performance linked list from scratch using raw pointers. This advanced course teaches you to work safely with unsafe code while building a data structure that outperforms standard collections in specific scenarios.
Linked lists are rarely the right choice in Rust due to ownership constraints, but understanding how to implement them teaches essential skills for systems programming, unsafe code patterns, and performance optimization.
Mastering Unsafe Rust
This course is your gateway to advanced Rust programming. You'll learn to use unsafe code responsibly, understanding both its power and its dangers. Every unsafe operation is explained with clear safety invariants and validation strategies.
Real-World Unsafe Programming
The techniques you'll learn apply to many systems programming scenarios:
- Custom allocators and memory pools
- Lock-free data structures
- FFI bindings to C libraries
- High-performance networking code
- Embedded systems programming
Performance-First Design
Your linked list will be optimized for specific use cases:
- Constant-time insertion and deletion
- Minimal memory overhead
- Cache-friendly memory layout
- Zero-cost abstractions
- Custom iteration patterns
Advanced Rust Concepts
Throughout the implementation, you'll master:
- Raw pointer arithmetic and manipulation
- Custom drop implementations for cleanup
- Variance and lifetime management
- Interior mutability patterns
- Trait implementations for collections
Safety Without Compromise
Learn to build safe abstractions over unsafe code:
- Comprehensive invariant checking
- Safe public APIs over unsafe internals
- Property-based testing for validation
- Memory safety debugging techniques
- Performance profiling and optimization
Beyond Basic Collections
Your implementation will include advanced features often missing from textbook examples:
- Cursor-based API for efficient editing
- Split and merge operations
- Custom iterator implementations
- Memory pool integration
- Debugging and introspection tools
This course bridges the gap between safe Rust and systems programming, giving you the skills to work confidently with unsafe code when performance demands it.
What you'll learn
- Master unsafe Rust programming safely
- Understand raw pointer manipulation
- Implement custom memory management
- Design safe abstractions over unsafe code
- Work with manual memory allocation
- Create custom drop guards and cleanup
- Implement standard collection traits
- Debug memory safety issues effectively
Requirements
- Solid understanding of Rust fundamentals
- Knowledge of ownership and borrowing
- Basic understanding of pointers and memory
- Familiarity with Rust's type system
Course Contents
Unsafe Rust Fundamentals
Understanding when and how to use unsafe code responsibly
- When to Use Unsafe Rust
- Raw Pointer Types and Operations
- Memory Safety Guarantees
- Debugging Unsafe Code
Linked List Design
Designing a safe interface for an unsafe implementation
- Node Structure Design
- Ownership Strategies
- API Design Principles
- Safety Invariants
Memory Management
Manual memory allocation and deallocation
- Box vs Raw Allocation
- Layout and Alignment
- Allocation Strategies
- Memory Leak Prevention
Core Operations
Implementing fundamental linked list operations
- Insertion Algorithms
- Deletion and Cleanup
- Traversal Patterns
- Edge Case Handling
Advanced Features
Adding sophisticated functionality
- Custom Iterator Implementation
- Split and Merge Operations
- Cursor-based API
- Performance Optimizations
Testing and Validation
Ensuring correctness and safety
- Property-based Testing
- Memory Safety Validation
- Performance Benchmarking
- Fuzzing Strategies
This book includes:
- Step-by-step coding walkthrough
- Complete source code
- Detailed explanations
- Real-world examples
- Unsafe Rust programming
- Memory management techniques
- Custom drop implementations
- Iterator pattern implementation
