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Rust - Interview Questions
How does Rust handle multithreading?
Rust provides built-in support for multithreading through the use of threads, synchronization primitives, and safe concurrency abstractions. Here's how Rust handles multithreading:

1. Thread Creation : Rust allows you to create threads using the `std::thread` module. The `std::thread::spawn` function is used to create a new thread and start its execution with a specified closure or function. Threads in Rust are lightweight and can be created with minimal overhead.

2. Thread Synchronization : Rust provides synchronization primitives to coordinate access to shared data between threads and prevent data races. Mutexes (`Mutex`), read-write locks (`RwLock`), and semaphores (`Semaphore`) are commonly used to protect shared resources. These primitives ensure that only one thread can access the protected data at a time, providing safe concurrent access.

3. Message Passing : Rust facilitates communication and coordination between threads through message passing. Channels, implemented by the `std::sync::mpsc` module, allow threads to send and receive messages. Multiple threads can send messages to a shared channel, and messages are received by another thread. This enables thread-safe communication and data exchange.
4. Atomic Types : Rust provides atomic types, such as `AtomicBool`, `AtomicUsize`, and others, for lock-free concurrent access to shared variables. Atomic types ensure that read and write operations on the shared data are atomic and free from data races. This allows for safe concurrent access without the need for explicit locking.

5. Thread Scheduling : Rust's thread scheduler determines how threads are scheduled on available CPU cores. The scheduler aims to distribute the workload evenly across threads, maximizing CPU utilization. The exact behavior and scheduling policies may vary depending on the underlying operating system and runtime environment.

6. Thread Safety and Ownership : Rust's ownership and borrowing system help ensure thread safety by preventing data races and memory unsafety. The rules enforced by the compiler guarantee that mutable references (`&mut`) to shared data are exclusive and cannot be accessed concurrently from multiple threads. This prevents data races at compile time and eliminates the need for runtime locks in many cases.

By combining these features and techniques, Rust allows you to write safe and efficient multithreaded code. The language's emphasis on memory safety and concurrency enables you to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and design concurrent systems with fewer bugs and higher performance. However, it's still important to carefully design and reason about thread safety in your code to avoid common pitfalls and ensure correct concurrent behavior.
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