How do generics work in Rust

Generics in Rust allow you to define functions, structs, and enums that work with any data type by using placeholders like T instead of concrete types. You declare a generic type parameter in angle brackets after the item name and use it wherever you would normally specify a type.

fn largest<T: PartialOrd>(list: &[T]) -> &T {
    let mut largest = &list[0];
    for item in list {
        if item > largest {
            largest = item;
        }
    }
    largest
}

This largest function works for any type T that implements the PartialOrd trait, allowing you to compare values without duplicating code for i32, f64, or custom types.

Generics are like reusable templates that let you write code once and use it with many different data types. Instead of writing separate functions for integers and strings, you write one generic function that handles both. Think of it as a mold that can shape different materials into the same form.