Using this definition, Rust is object-oriented: structs and enums have data, and impl blocks provide methods on structs and enums. Even though structs and enums with methods aren’t called objects, they provide the same functionality, according to the Gang of Four’s definition of objects.
If encapsulation is a required aspect for a language to be considered object-oriented, then Rust meets that requirement. The option to use
pubor not for different parts of code enables encapsulation of implementation details.
If a language must have inheritance to be an object-oriented language, then Rust is not one. There is no way to define a struct that inherits the parent struct’s fields and method implementations without using a macro.
However, if you’re used to having inheritance in your programming toolbox, you can use other solutions in Rust, depending on your reason for reaching for inheritance in the first place.
Rust instead uses generics to abstract over different possible types and trait bounds to impose constraints on what those types must provide. This is sometimes called bounded parametric polymorphism.
impl Post {
// --snip--
pub fn request_review(&mut self) {
if let Some(s) = self.state.take() {
self.state = Some(s.request_review())
}
}
}
trait State {
fn request_review(self: Box<Self>) -> Box<dyn State>;
}
struct Draft {}
impl State for Draft {
fn request_review(self: Box<Self>) -> Box<dyn State> {
Box::new(PendingReview {})
}
}
struct PendingReview {}
impl State for PendingReview {
fn request_review(self: Box<Self>) -> Box<dyn State> {
self
}
}