FMitF: Track II: Educating Developers about Ownership in Rust

Rust是一种重要的新编程语言，它使程序员能够以一种既快速又高效的方式构建低级系统，这一组合在传统上是极其困难的。然而，使用Rust要求程序员理解这种语言的“所有权”机制，这让许多人感到畏惧。该项目的创新之处在于创建了对学习它的困难的强烈理解，创建了提高理解的工具，并评估了这些工具的工作情况。该项目的影响是对重要编程语言概念的理解，一系列有用的工具，以及一系列教学材料。首先，它检查StackOverflow发布的帖子，以确定程序员似乎遇到了什么麻烦。接下来，它将这些转变为一份所有权的概念清单。然后，创建了用于理解Rust的动态和静态语义的可视化工具。然后，这些材料被部署在一本广泛使用的铁锈书中。然后，该项目评估这些干预的影响。这一裁决反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Rust is an important new programming language that enables programmers to build low-level systems in a way that is both fast and efficient, a combination that has traditionally been extremely difficult. However, using Rust requires programmers to understand the language's "ownership" mechanism, which many find daunting. The project's novelties are to create a strong understanding of the difficulties in learning it, create tools to improve understanding, and evaluate that these tools work. The project's impacts are an understanding of important programming language concepts, a collection of useful tools, and a collection of pedagogic materials.Concretely, the project has multiple phases. First, it examines StackOverflow postings to determine what troubles programmers seem to have. Next, it turns these into a concept inventory for ownership. Then, it creates visualization tools for understanding both the dynamic and static semantics of Rust. These are then deployed in a copy of a widely used Rust book. The project then assesses the impact of these interventions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.