Rust Programming Master Class from Beginner to Expert - Refining Cons List and Custom-Defined Smart Pointers

This tutorial covers the use of box smart pointers in Rust, highlighting their application in storing primitive types on the heap and handling recursive types. It addresses inefficiencies in the cons list implementation and introduces a refined approach using the option ENUM. The tutorial then delves into creating custom smart pointers, explaining the importance of implementing the dref and drop traits. Practical examples illustrate how these traits enable smart pointers to function like ordinary references and manage memory efficiently. The session concludes with a summary and a look ahead to future topics.

How does the dereference operator work with smart pointers?

What are the consequences of returning a value instead of a reference in the dref method?

Explain how the implementation of the dref trait differs from ordinary structs.

What is the significance of the drop trait in managing memory for smart pointers?