Knowledge Base

🔍 Debug Rust Like a Pro

Debugging Rust Programs

Master error resolution, compiler diagnostics, and runtime debugging techniques.

Essential Debugging Tools

Learn to leverage Rust's compiler safety with practical debugging workflows.

The Rust Compiler

Rust's compiler provides detailed error messages. Use --explain flag for exhaustive explanations.

rustc --explain E0507
                    

Cargo Check

Fast code analysis without generating objects using cargo check.

cargo check
                    

Panic Output

Debug runtime issues with backtraces and panic messages.

RUST_BACKTRACE=1 cargo run
                    

Debugging in Practice

Common issues and solutions for everyday Rust debugging scenarios.

The Borrow Checker


error[E0505]: cannot move out of `x` in `[x]`, in a `for` loop
  |
2 | let x = String::from("hello");
  |       - move occurs because `x` has type `alloc::string::String`, which does not implement the `Copy` trait
3 | for c in x.chars() {
  |          ^ value moved here
                        

Solution: Clone the value before using or refactor into separate variables.

let x = String::from("hello");
let x_ref = &x;
for c in x_ref.chars() {
    // use c
}
                        

Using GDB with Rust

Set breakpoints and inspect memory using GDB for low-level issues.

gdb -q --args target/debug/debugging-rust
(gdb) break main
(gdb) run
(gdb) p x
                        

Custom Debug Formatter

Implement Debug trait for custom types to customize debug output.

use std::fmt;

#[derive(Debug)]
struct Point {
    x: i32,
    y: i32,
}

fn main() {
    let p = Point { x: 0, y: 0 };
    println!("{:?}", p);
}
                        

Recommended Debugging Tools

Rust Analyzer

Integrate with VS Code for type checking, code completion, and diagnostics.

Install Extension

Clippy

Lint tool that catches common mistakes and improves code quality.

Run Linter

gdb/LLDB

Low-level debugging for memory issues and complex runtime problems.

Start Debug Session
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