AdaCore’s GNAT Pro Now Supports Rust

July 27, 2023

News

Considered to be one of the fastest-growing programming languages used today, Rust is making its way through software development environments such as AdaCore’s GNAT Pro.

The company recently extended its GNAT Pro offering to support Rust, further enabling its utilization in safety-critical environments like industrial, aerospace, defense, and automotive.

GNAT Pro for Rust allows users to continue building high-performance embedded applications with security and reliability in mind as an industrial-grade toolchain providing long-term support for different toolchain environment variations, a wide range of support for different embedded platforms, and meeting demands for a software supply chain commercial warranty.

As a member of Rust Foundation, AdaCore has moved beyond its previously testable SPARK subset, C, and C++ languages to provide customers and hobbyists with a stable, memory-efficient language that can be compiled faster with streamlined functions.

In a recent press release, AdaCore’s Chief Product Officer Quentin Ochem said, "Our customers have expressed a strong desire to use Rust but have been unable to do so due to the limitations of existing Rust toolchains. This is particularly true in the context of certifiable security- and safety-critical embedded software. GNAT Pro for Rust addresses these concerns by removing the key barriers that have hindered the adoption of Rust. With GNAT Pro for Rust, our customers can confidently embrace Rust and move forward, equipped with the necessary tools for success."

The reliability of the toolchain is further supported with the user’s ability to receive critical updates and known-problem reports, as the solution is designed to support years of use with GNAT Pro Assurance. For issues like code generation, GNAT Pro Assurance’s remedy is through the current version of the compiler being used.

With flexibility in mind, GNAT Pro for Rust supports the following embedded processors and RTOSs, with more added on request. Users can also add the toolchain to existing Ada, C, and C++ projects with the multi-language builder, as well as automatic binding generators for APIs written in the aforementioned languages for consistent project development.

The Rust toolchain is designed for industrial use, which is why AdaCore already adheres to rough industrial standards like ISO 9001 and NIST SP 800-171, with the objective of SLSA Build Level 3 compliance. The AdaCore Coordinated Disclosure Policy provides more information about the security of the company’s products. The company also has future plans to support additional standards for a broader range of environments such as avionics (DO-178), rail (EN-50128), space (ECSS-E-ST-40C and ECSS-Q-ST-80C), and more.

GNAT Pro for Rust is currently available through AdaCore’s early-access program.

For more information about GNAT Pro for Rust, visit: https://www.adacore.com/gnatpro-rust