Understanding Unsafe Code in Rust - A Practical Guide

Explore a comprehensive conference talk that demystifies the concept of 'unsafe' in Rust programming, addressing common misconceptions and examining its practical applications. Delve into what unsafe actually encompasses (which is less than commonly believed) and understand the potential risks of its usage. Learn through real-world examples where unsafe code has caused issues and how it paradoxically helped resolve those same problems. Discover why unsafe should be viewed as a safety feature rather than just a dangerous tool, and gain practical insights into when and how to effectively use unsafe code in production software. Drawing from personal experience and industry expertise, examine the true relationship between unsafe and Rust's borrow checker, correcting widespread misunderstandings even among experienced developers.