Port Module Skill
Guide for porting a C module to Rust.
Arguments
The module name to port should be provided as an argument (e.g., /port-module triemap).
Module to port: $ARGUMENTS
Usage
Use this skill when starting to port a C module to Rust.
Instructions
1. Analyze the C Code
First, understand the C module you're porting (look for $ARGUMENTS.c and $ARGUMENTS.h in src/):
- •Read the
.cand.hfiles insrc/ - •Identify what is exposed by the header file:
- •Does the rest of the codebase have access to the inner fields of the data structures defined in this module?
- •Are types always passed by value or by reference? A mix?
- •Can the corresponding Rust types be passed over the FFI boundary?
- •Understand data structures and their lifetimes
- •Identify which types and functions this module imports from other modules:
- •Determine if those types are implemented in Rust or C
- •If those types are implemented in Rust, identify the relevant Rust crate
- •If those types are implemented in C, understand if it makes sense to port them first to Rust or if it's preferable to invoke the C implementation from Rust via FFI
- •Note any global state or Redis module interactions
- •Identify which tests under
tests/are relevant to this module
2. Define A Porting Plan
Create a $ARGUMENTS_plan.md file to outline the steps and decisions for porting the module.
Determine if the C code should be modified, at this stage, to ease the porting process.
For example:
- •Introduce getters and setters to avoid exposing inner fields of data structures defined in this module.
- •Split the module into smaller, more manageable parts.
3. Create the Rust Crate
cd src/redisearch_rs cargo new $ARGUMENTS --lib
4. Implement Pure Rust Logic
- •Create idiomatic Rust code
- •Add comprehensive tests
- •Ensure that all C/C++ tests have equivalent Rust tests
- •Document public APIs with doc comments
- •For performance sensitive code, create microbenchmarks using
criterion - •Use
proptestfor property-based testing where appropriate - •Testing code should be written with the same care reserved to production code
5. Compare Rust API with C API
- •Review the public API of the new Rust module against the C API in the header file
- •Ensure that differences can be bridged by adding appropriate wrappers or adapters
- •Go back to step 1 if discovered differences cannot be bridged without a re-design
6. Create FFI Wrapper
Create an FFI crate to expose the new Rust module to the C codebase:
cd src/redisearch_rs/c_entrypoint
cargo new ${ARGUMENTS}_ffi --lib
FFI crate should:
- •Expose
#[unsafe(no_mangle)] pub extern "C" fnfunctions - •Handle null pointers and error cases
- •Convert between C and Rust types safely
- •Document all unsafe blocks with
// SAFETY:comments
7. Wire Up C Code
- •Delete the C header file and its implementation
- •Update the rest of the C codebase to import the new Rust header wherever the old C header was used
C header files for Rust FFI crates are auto-generated. No need to use their full path in imports,
use just their name (e.g. #include $ARGUMENTS.h; for ${ARGUMENTS}_ffi)
8. Test The Integration
./build.sh RUN_UNIT_TESTS # C/C++ unit tests ./build.sh RUN_PYTEST # Integration tests
Example: Well-Ported Module
See src/redisearch_rs/trie_rs/ for a high-quality example:
- •Pure Rust implementation with comprehensive docs
- •Extensive test coverage
- •Clean FFI boundary in
c_entrypoint/trie_ffi/