Enhancing Software Safety Through Programming Languages: A Study of Rust

Ensuring software safety has become a paramount concern in modern software development, with the choice of programming language playing a crucial role. This paper investigates the role of Rust, a systems programming language, in enhancing software safety, with a specific focus on embedded development and microcontrollers in the context of developing a modern fire alarm system. Through a combination of literature review, evaluation of safety standards, three discussion meetings with software engineers, and practical experimentation, we explore the unique features of Rust that contribute to safer software development practices. The study includes an in-depth analysis of Rust's ownership model and concurrency mechanisms, comparing them with traditional languages like C and C++. Furthermore, we conduct interviews with software engineers to gather insights into their experiences with Rust, particularly its adoption challenges, benefits, and implications for transitioning from C++ and Python to Rust. Additionally, we present a practical experiment involving code development in Rust, specifically tailored to a modern fire alarm system, to demonstrate its effectiveness in ensuring safety and reliability in critical embedded applications. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the role of programming languages, particularly Rust, in advancing software safety. They also offer practical guidance for software developers aiming to leverage safer alternatives in their projects, especially in the specialized domain of embedded systems and microcontroller-based safety-critical applications.

Keywords: RUST, Safety, C, C++, Programming language, IEC 61508.