Choose a good name for this library

[fzyzcjy]

Context

In addition to what is discussed in this issue, there are also some discussions in Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rust/comments/q0wrhr/comment/hfbnom7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Names for other code generators

Let's look at how others name it.

python

• pyo3 4.7k
• rust-cpython 1.5k
• milksnake 0.7k (inactive)

c/c++

• cxx 3.2k
• cbindgen 1.2k
• autocxx 1.2k
• cc-rs 0.8k
• rust-cpp 0.5k
• flapigen-rs 0.5k (multi language)

java

• flapigen-rs 0.5k (multi language)
• jni-rs 0.5k
• java-rust-example 0.3k
• j4rs 0.2k
• robusta 0.1k
• rjni 0.06k

javascript/js/node

• neon 5.8k
• napi-rs 1.1k
• node-bindgen 0.2k

go/golang

• rust-plus-golang 0.3k
• rure-go 0.2k

Official doc

https://rust-lang.github.io/api-guidelines/naming.html

Crate names should not use -rs or -rust as a suffix or prefix. Every crate is Rust! It serves no purpose to remind users of this constantly.

rust-lang/api-guidelines#29

Most downloaded crates

https://crates.io/crates?sort=recent-downloads

• cfg-if
• range_core
• rand
• syn
• proc-macro2
• libc
• unicode-xid
• quote
• getrandom
• rand_chacha
• autocfg
• serde
• bitflags
• memchr
• base64
• lazy_static

[shreyashsaitwal]

Before you publish the packages to crates.io and pub.dev, do you have any plans to rename the project like suggested by some people on Reddit? To me, flutter_rust_bridge seems something very Flutter-related at first glance, which in fact is not true since the package is 100% compatible with pure Dart as well.

[fzyzcjy]

@shreyashsaitwal Ah good question! Indeed people in Reddit also suggests:

If you plan on releasing it on both, I'd give it the same name so people don't get confused. A bunch of crates have rust or rs in them, its not a big deal.

So maybe I should use the same name to publish package for both flutter/dart and rust.

To me flutter_rust_bridge, seems something very Flutter-related at first glance, which in fact is not true since the package is 100% compatible with pure Dart as well.

Yes I totally agree. I originally thought it should be named dart_rust_bridge. But people in Reddit seems to be interested in how it can ease the programming Flutter+Rust. In addition, most people who uses Dart are using Flutter. Dart seems not to be widely used and the main usage is for Flutter.

I mention "Dart" in README as well. Let me emphasize it a bit more.

[fzyzcjy]

README edited: efc14e5

[shreyashsaitwal]

So maybe I should use the same name to publish package for both flutter/dart and rust.

Yes, I think it makes more sense to publish it under the same name.

Also, do you have any nominees for the new name?

[fzyzcjy]

@shreyashsaitwal Good question. People also suggest flechette and flap.

IMHO, if someone wants a ffi generator between Flutter/Dart and Rust, he may Google: flutter rust or things like that. The package name makes it possible to be found. On the contrary, if it has a fancy name, people may not be able to find it unless this package is really famous. Just my two cents.

[shreyashsaitwal]

It doesn't really matter to me what type of name you opt-in for -- fancy or descriptive. It's just that the current name seems too long to me. IMO, lib/package names shouldn't really exceed more than two words.

[fzyzcjy]

Good question. What do you think if I create a new Reddit post (or just add a comment in the current post?) asking for people to suggest and vote names?

[shreyashsaitwal]

What do you think if I create a new Reddit post (or just add a comment in the current post?) asking for people to suggest and vote names?

Nice idea, go ahead. 👍🏻

[fzyzcjy]

I am worried: I have already create one post yesterday about this lib. If I create one today, will people dislike this?

[shreyashsaitwal]

Given how great this project is, I don't think anyone would dislike it. But because the current post has already got some good engagement, IMO editing it (or adding a comment in it) would be a good idea.

[fzyzcjy]

Thanks. Let me edit it.

[fzyzcjy]

I have edited it. Did you receive any kinds of notifications?

[shreyashsaitwal]

Did you receive any kinds of notifications?

Nope, I didn't (and I've no idea if other people who commented would receive it. I don't use Reddit much). But after I refreshed the page I saw the edit.

[coderedart]

I think any name is fine that is short. something like flut-rs or anything like that. people won't get reddit notifications when you edit post :) If you want to ask the community, ask in rust and rust-community discords, where people can reply immediately.

[coderedart]

anyone who searches for a "flutter rust" is going to find it anyway because of the description or ReadMe. name doesn't really need to be too descriptive.

[fzyzcjy]

I come up with a few names. What do you guys think?

• fridge: Flutter Rust brIDGE
• flat: FLutter And rusT
• rust_dart

[fzyzcjy]

Maybe I choose fridge?

[shreyashsaitwal]

Yes, fridge sounds nice.

[fzyzcjy]

Oops, fridge rust means your fridge has some rust on it when you google it... Let me think twice

[coderedart]

I think this is getting way more efffort put in, than it is needed. half the rust libraries get drowned in rust (iron oxide) related search results, and the rest get drowned in the rust (the game) results. fridge should be fine. or flust/flut . rust_dart seems like a reasonable option too. if this turns out great, people will not really care about the name.

[fzyzcjy]

Well let me think twice... Some of my friends think the current name is better. So let me focus on the code itself first

[shreyashsaitwal]

I completely agree with @coderedart. You're thinking way too much about this. Every new project takes some time to show up in search engine results. And how would you get any relevant result even before renaming the project?!

Also, if you don't want to change the name, it's completely fine. No one's forcing you to do so. At the end of the day, what matters is the project itself, not it's name.

[mjablecnik]

And what about name dart_rust_bridge?

[shreyashsaitwal]

Again, it's too big.

[mjablecnik]

No it is not too big name I think..

[coderedart]

Very few popular crates have 3 words, and I think having a _ is always confusing. I would still recommend a single word name or 5 letters like flust or flur or drust or darust or flutrust or rufler etc..

[mjablecnik]

It is not about name. It is about functionality what depends about how package will be popular or not..
In https://pub.dev is a lot of packages with quite same long names and _:

[coderedart]

Yeah. That was what I said long ago in this thread. But this thread literally is about naming, so I recommended short names, and it's easier to remember one word than 2.

[sachaarbonel]

Feel free to take dodge, when I was searching for a name, looking for "rust dart" I was finding images of Dodge cars. It's nice because of dodge in a sense of "avoid doing bindings by hand"

[fzyzcjy]

Let's just firstly keep flutter_rust_bridge ;)