Chapter 00: Starting Your Rust Quest Project

published:

tags: [ #rust, #programming, #tutorial, #cli, #quest app, #education, #kids, #children, #young, #learners ]

Welcome, Young Adventurer!

Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of computer programming! You're about to learn how to build your very own "Quest App" using something called Rust. Think of it like building with digital LEGOs!

Getting Started

Follow these steps to get your Rust application up and running:

Step 1: Create a New Rust Project

Imagine your computer is a magical workshop, and you want to build something new! Rust has a special tool called cargo that helps you start new projects. We'll create a new Rust "binary" project, which means it's a program that can run all by itself!

Open your black screen (that's your "terminal" or "command line") and carefully type these spells, then press the Enter key after each one:

cargo new quest-app --bin
cd quest-app

The first command, cargo new quest-app --bin, tells Rust to make a new folder called quest-app and set it up for our program. The second command, cd quest-app, takes you right into our new project's folder.

Step 2: Peek Inside the Code with Your Favorite Editor

A "code editor" is like a special notebook where programmers write and change their code. While we'll explain how to use vim (a powerful text editor that lives in your terminal), you can also use other popular editors like Visual Studio Code or Zed if you have them installed and know how to use them. Just open the quest-app folder with your preferred editor!

If you want to try vim, here's how to use it:

Let's open our main program file, which is called src/main.rs. It's like opening the first page of a storybook! Type this command in your terminal and press Enter:

vim src/main.rs

You can also peek at another important file called Cargo.toml, which tells Rust how to build our app:

vim Cargo.toml

Understanding Vim (Your Secret Notebook):

  • When you first open vim, it's in "Reading Mode" (we call it normal mode). In this mode, you can read and move around the text without accidentally changing anything.
    • To look around, use these keys like a game controller:
      • h: move left
      • l: move right
      • j: move down
      • k: move up
  • To start "Writing Mode" (we call it insert mode) and type new words or change existing ones, just press the letter i. You'll see -- INSERT -- appear at the bottom, letting you know you can type!
  • When you're done writing and want to go back to "Reading Mode", just press the Escape key (it's usually in the top-left corner of your keyboard).
  • If you've made changes and want to save your work (like saving a drawing), first go back to "Reading Mode" (press Escape), then type :w and press Enter.
  • When you're finished looking at the file and want to close your secret notebook, first go back to "Reading Mode" (press Escape), then type :q and press Enter.

About This Super Cool Project

This is where your adventure truly begins! This project is a simple computer program written in Rust. Right now, it's a simple Quest App that just says hi! You'll find its main magic words in src/main.rs, and its instruction book for Rust in Cargo.toml.

Our big goal is to turn this simple program into an amazing quest command line app! You'll be able to use it to:

  • Create new quests for yourself (like "Learn a new Rust command!").
  • Remove quests that have been completed.

Imagine having your very own digital quest log! Once we get this first version working, we'll use it to track all the cool new features we'll add to your quest app! How exciting is that?!