Search code examples
rust

What is the difference between :: and . in Rust?

I am confused by the difference between :: and .. They look the same except that their syntax are different.

let mut guess = String::new();

io::stdin().read_line(&mut guess)
    .expect("Failed to read line");

"Programming a Guessing Game" from The Rust Programming Language

In the above case, I access the function new() in String. What is the difference between String::new() and String.new()? Is . only for methods?

Solution

  • . is used when you have a value on the left-hand-side. :: is used when you have a type or module.

    Or: . is for value member access, :: is for namespace member access.