Prevent performance issues in Rust by using references and iterators to borrow data instead of creating expensive copies.
Avoid unnecessary clones by passing references (&T) or using iterators instead of copying owned data. Use &self in method signatures and iterate with for item in &collection to borrow elements rather than cloning them.
fn process(items: &[i32]) {
for item in items {
println!("Item: {}", item);
}
}
fn main() {
let data = vec![1, 2, 3];
process(&data);
}
Cloning creates a full copy of your data, which wastes memory and slows down your program. Instead, pass a reference to the data, which acts like a pointer allowing you to read the original without duplicating it. Think of it as reading a book from the library instead of photocopying every page.