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Rust - Interview Questions
What is the difference between a vector and an array in Rust?
In Rust, both vectors and arrays are used to store collections of elements, but they have several differences in terms of their capabilities and characteristics.

1. Size Flexibility : Arrays have a fixed size at compile time, which means the number of elements in an array is determined when it is declared and cannot be changed. Vectors, on the other hand, have a dynamic size that can grow or shrink at runtime. Vectors can be resized using methods like `push()`, `pop()`, and `resize()`.

2. Ownership and Borrowing : Arrays are often allocated on the stack and have a fixed lifetime tied to their scope. They are typically passed by value and copied when assigned to a new variable. Vectors, on the other hand, are allocated on the heap, allowing them to be dynamically resized. Vectors are typically passed by reference (`&Vec<T>`) to avoid unnecessary copies.

3. Access and Indexing : Both arrays and vectors allow you to access elements by index. However, arrays have a fixed length and use a zero-based index to access elements (`array[index]`). Vectors have a dynamic length and provide additional methods like `get()`, which returns an `Option` to handle out-of-bounds access safely.
4. Memory Allocation : Arrays are often allocated as contiguous blocks of memory, with the size determined at compile time. This can result in more efficient memory access and better cache locality. Vectors, being dynamically resizable, allocate memory on the heap using a dynamic data structure. This can introduce some overhead due to bookkeeping and potential memory fragmentation.

5. Collection Methods : Vectors provide a rich set of methods and operations through the `Vec<T>` type, such as `push()`, `pop()`, `sort()`, `iter()`, and more. Arrays have a more limited set of built-in methods and rely on standard library functions for most operations.

6. Library Support : Vectors have extensive support in the Rust standard library, with many functions and traits specifically designed for them. Arrays, while less feature-rich, still have basic support and can be utilized effectively in scenarios where a fixed-size collection is needed.
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