I want it, you want it, we want it: let's rewrite it in Rust!
summary
Argument gives concrete criteria: a rewrite happens when underlying constraints change, not because of language love. Examples: Turso (SQLite rewrite in Rust) recreates SQLite as async, per-tenant file databases with native encryption, concurrent writes, CDC and vector search and a browser build; Scylla (C++ rewrite of Cassandra) targets NVMe-driven CPU-bound workloads and claims 10x performance vs Java Cassandra; another project yields a 40x improvement and big cost reduction. Rewrites succeed when architecture, tools, and measurable gains justify the pain.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction
- 3:23Three major rewrites
- 8:39Rewriting working software
- 14:58Scylla rewrite
- 17:45DataDog database rewrite
- 20:50SQLite rewrite for Turso
- 24:39Temptations in rewriting
- 27:50When rewriting makes sense
- 29:55Final advice on rewriting
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