Getting Started with Cargo in Rust: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Cargo is the default build tool and package manager for Rust. It helps you build your code, download libraries (called dependencies), and keep everything organized.

1. What Is Cargo?

When you use Cargo, you don’t have to compile your code manually with rustc. Cargo makes everything easier, especially for bigger projects. You can:

• Build your code
• Add external libraries (dependencies)
• Run your program
• Check for compile-time errors

2. Check if Cargo is Installed

If you installed Rust using the official method (rustup), Cargo is already installed.

To check, run this command in your terminal:

$ cargo --version

If you see a version number, you're ready!

3. Create a New Project

Now, let’s create a new Rust project using Cargo:

$ cargo new hello_cargo
$ cd hello_cargo

This creates a folder named hello_cargo with two important things inside:

• Cargo.toml – a config file for your project
• src/main.rs – the main code file

4. Explore the Project Structure

The file src/main.rs contains a simple program:

fn main() {
    println!("Hello, world!");
}

Cargo also initializes Git and creates a .gitignore file if you're not in a Git repo already.

5. Build and Run with Cargo

You can now build your project using:

$ cargo build

This compiles your code and creates an executable in target/debug.

To run the program:

$ ./target/debug/hello_cargo

6. Use cargo run (Faster)

Instead of building and then running, you can use:

$ cargo run

This compiles the code (if needed) and runs the program in one step.

7. Check for Errors with cargo check

If you just want to check your code without building a full binary, use:

$ cargo check

This is much faster during development!

8. Build for Release

When your project is ready to share or publish, use the release mode:

$ cargo build --release

The optimized binary will be in the target/release folder. It runs faster than debug builds but takes longer to compile.

9. Why Use Cargo?

Even small projects benefit from Cargo. But when your code grows or needs libraries, Cargo becomes essential. It:

• Manages dependencies automatically
• Organizes files in a standard way
• Works the same across Windows, macOS, and Linux

10. Summary

• Use cargo new to start a project
• Use cargo build to compile
• Use cargo run to build and run
• Use cargo check to check for errors
• Use cargo build --release for optimized code

Once you start using Cargo, you’ll enjoy how it simplifies your Rust development!

To learn more, visit the official Cargo documentation.