Rust Generics — Generic Functions, Structs, Enums, and Trait Bounds

DodaTech Updated 2026-06-28 1 min read

In this tutorial, you will learn about Rust Generics. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices to help you master this topic.

Rust generics enable type-parameterized functions and types with trait bounds, impl Trait syntax, and monomorphization for zero-cost abstraction.

What You'll Learn

Generic functions
Generic structs and enums
Trait bounds
impl Trait syntax

Why It Matters

Generics reduce code duplication. DodaZIP uses generics for buffer pooling. Firefox uses generics for DOM traversal.

Real-World Use

Collection types, algorithm abstraction, utility libraries, wrapper types.

fn largest<T: PartialOrd>(list: &[T]) -> &T {
    let mut largest = &list[0];
    for item in list {
        if item > largest { largest = item; }
    }
    largest
}

struct Point<T> {
    x: T,
    y: T,
}

impl<T: std::fmt::Display> Point<T> {
    fn display(&self) {
        println!("Point({}, {})", self.x, self.y);
    }
}

enum Option<T> {
    Some(T),
    None,
}

fn main() {
    let number_list = vec![34, 50, 25, 100, 65];
    println!("Largest: {}", largest(&number_list));

    let char_list = vec!['y', 'm', 'a', 'q'];
    println!("Largest: {}", largest(&char_list));

    let p = Point { x: 5, y: 10 };
    p.display();

    let pf = Point { x: 1.5, y: 3.2 };
    pf.display();
}

← Previous Rust Error Handling — Result, Option, Panic, and Error Propagation with ? Operator Next → Rust Traits — Defining Shared Behavior with Traits, Trait Bounds, and Derive Macros

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