# Cargo — Rust's Package Manager and Build Tool > Practical guide to Cargo: create, build and test Rust projects, manage dependencies, generate documentation and publish crates to crates.io. Source: https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/build-languages/cargo/ Cargo is Rust's official build tool and package manager – a single command set lets you scaffold projects, pull dependencies (crates) from crates.io, compile, test and publish. Instead of juggling compiler, linker and dependency resolution by hand, you describe your project in `Cargo.toml` and let Cargo handle the rest. This guide walks you through the commands you reach for daily – from a fresh project through tests and linting to publishing. ## Create & Build `cargo new ` — Create a new binary project with Git repository. ```bash cargo new my-app ``` `cargo new --lib ` — Create a new library project. ```bash cargo new --lib my-lib ``` `cargo init` — Initialize a project in the current directory. ```bash cargo init ``` `cargo build` — Compile the project in debug mode. ```bash cargo build ``` `cargo build --release` — Compile with optimizations for release. ```bash cargo build --release ``` `cargo run` — Build and run the project. ```bash cargo run ``` `cargo run -- ` — Run with arguments passed to the binary. ```bash cargo run -- --port 8080 ``` ## Dependencies `cargo add ` — Add a dependency to Cargo.toml. ```bash cargo add serde ``` `cargo add @` — Add a specific version. ```bash cargo add tokio@1.35 ``` `cargo add --features ` — Add with specific features enabled. ```bash cargo add serde --features derive ``` `cargo add --dev ` — Add as a dev dependency. ```bash cargo add --dev criterion ``` `cargo remove ` — Remove a dependency from Cargo.toml. ```bash cargo remove regex ``` `cargo update` — Update dependencies to latest compatible versions. ```bash cargo update ``` `cargo tree` — Display the dependency tree. ```bash cargo tree ``` ## Test & Check `cargo test` — Run all tests. ```bash cargo test ``` `cargo test ` — Run tests matching a name pattern. ```bash cargo test test_parse ``` `cargo test -- --nocapture` — Run tests with stdout/stderr visible. ```bash cargo test -- --nocapture ``` `cargo check` — Check for errors without compiling (faster than build). ```bash cargo check ``` `cargo bench` — Run benchmarks. ```bash cargo bench ``` `cargo clippy` — Run the Clippy linter for code improvements. ```bash cargo clippy -- -W clippy::pedantic ``` ## Format & Documentation `cargo fmt` — Format code using rustfmt. ```bash cargo fmt ``` `cargo fmt -- --check` — Check formatting without making changes. ```bash cargo fmt -- --check ``` `cargo doc` — Generate documentation for the project. ```bash cargo doc ``` `cargo doc --open` — Generate and open documentation in browser. ```bash cargo doc --open ``` ## Publish & Install `cargo publish` — Publish the crate to crates.io. ```bash cargo publish ``` `cargo publish --dry-run` — Check if the crate is ready to publish. ```bash cargo publish --dry-run ``` `cargo install ` — Install a binary crate from crates.io. ```bash cargo install ripgrep ``` `cargo install --path .` — Install the current project as a binary. ```bash cargo install --path . ``` `cargo uninstall ` — Uninstall a previously installed binary crate. ```bash cargo uninstall ripgrep ``` ## Workspaces & Clean `cargo clean` — Remove the target directory (compiled artifacts). ```bash cargo clean ``` `cargo workspace ` — Run a command across all workspace members. ```bash cargo test --workspace ``` `cargo metadata` — Output project metadata as JSON. ```bash cargo metadata --format-version 1 ``` `cargo search ` — Search for crates on crates.io. ```bash cargo search http server ``` ## Conclusion Cargo takes the routine out of any Rust project: `cargo build`, `cargo test` and `cargo run` cover the daily development loop, while `cargo clippy` and `cargo fmt` keep your code clean. Two commands deserve deliberate care: `cargo install` downloads and compiles third-party crates along with their build scripts, which run on your machine – so only install what you trust. And `cargo publish` is final: once a version is published it cannot be deleted or overwritten on crates.io – check first with `--dry-run`. ## Further Reading - [The Cargo Book](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/) – official Cargo documentation with reference and guides - [crates.io](https://crates.io/) – the central registry for Rust crates - [Rust – official website](https://www.rust-lang.org/) – getting started, installation and learning resources ## Related Commands - [artisan](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/build-languages/artisan/) – command-line tool for the Laravel PHP framework - [composer](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/build-languages/composer/) – dependency manager for PHP projects - [drush](https://www.jpkc.com/db/en/cheatsheets/build-languages/drush/) – command-line shell for Drupal