How do I install the Rust Anti Patterns skill?

Run npx get-skill add tomevault-io/rust-anti-patterns in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Rust Anti Patterns skill do?

Use when reviewing code for anti-patterns and when the user asks you for code design advice. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Rust Anti Patterns safe to use?

SkillMD's automated safety review verdict for this skill is PASS. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Rust Anti Patterns?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Rust Anti Patterns free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Rust Anti Patterns?

tomevault-io (@tomevault-io) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Rust Anti Patterns by tomevault-io — Agent Skill

Name: Rust Anti Patterns
Author: tomevault-io

File contents

Anti-Patterns

Layer 2: Design Choices

Core Question

Is this pattern hiding a design problem?

When reviewing code:

Is this solving the symptom or the cause?
Is there a more idiomatic approach?
Does this fight or flow with Rust?

Anti-Pattern → Better Pattern

Anti-Pattern	Why Bad	Better
`.clone()` everywhere	Hides ownership issues	Proper references or ownership
`.unwrap()` in production	Runtime panics	`?`, `expect`, or handling
`Rc` when single owner	Unnecessary overhead	Simple ownership
`unsafe` for convenience	UB risk	Find safe pattern
OOP via `Deref`	Misleading API	Composition, traits
Giant match arms	Unmaintainable	Extract to methods
`String` everywhere	Allocation waste	`&str`, `Cow<str>`
Ignoring `#[must_use]`	Lost errors	Handle or `let _ =`

Thinking Prompt

When seeing suspicious code:

Is this symptom or cause?
- Clone to avoid borrow? → Ownership design issue
- Unwrap "because it won't fail"? → Unhandled case
What would idiomatic code look like?
- References instead of clones
- Iterators instead of index loops
- Pattern matching instead of flags
Does this fight Rust?
- Fighting borrow checker → restructure
- Excessive unsafe → find safe pattern

Top 5 Beginner Mistakes

Rank	Mistake	Fix
1	Clone to escape borrow checker	Use references
2	Unwrap in production	Propagate with `?`
3	String for everything	Use `&str`
4	Index loops	Use iterators
5	Fighting lifetimes	Restructure to own data

Code Smell → Refactoring

Smell	Indicates	Refactoring
Many `.clone()`	Ownership unclear	Clarify data flow
Many `.unwrap()`	Error handling missing	Add proper handling
Many `pub` fields	Encapsulation broken	Private + accessors
Deep nesting	Complex logic	Extract methods
Long functions	Multiple responsibilities	Split
Giant enums	Missing abstraction	Trait + types

Common Error Patterns

Error	Anti-Pattern Cause	Fix
E0382 use after move	Cloning vs ownership	Proper references
Panic in production	Unwrap everywhere	?, matching
Slow performance	String for all text	&str, Cow
Borrow checker fights	Wrong structure	Restructure
Memory bloat	Rc/Arc everywhere	Simple ownership

Deprecated → Better

Deprecated	Better
Index-based loops	`.iter()`, `.enumerate()`
`collect::<Vec<_>>()` then iterate	Chain iterators
Manual unsafe cell	`Cell`, `RefCell`
`mem::transmute` for casts	`as` or `TryFrom`
Custom linked list	`Vec`, `VecDeque`
`lazy_static!`	`std::sync::OnceLock`

Quick Review Checklist

No .clone() without justification
No .unwrap() in library code
No pub fields with invariants
No index loops when iterator works
No String where &str suffices
No ignored #[must_use] warnings
No unsafe without SAFETY comment
No giant functions (>50 lines)

Source: christestet/owui-lint — distributed by TomeVault.

---name: rust-anti-patternsdescription: Use when reviewing code for anti-patterns and when the user asks you for code design advice.---# Anti-Patterns> **Layer 2: Design Choices**## Core Question**Is this pattern hiding a design problem?**When reviewing code:- Is this solving the symptom or the cause?- Is there a more idiomatic approach?- Does this fight or flow with Rust?---## Anti-Pattern → Better Pattern| Anti-Pattern | Why Bad | Better ||--------------|---------|--------|| `.clone()` everywhere | Hides ownership issues | Proper references or ownership || `.unwrap()` in production | Runtime panics | `?`, `expect`, or handling || `Rc` when single owner | Unnecessary overhead | Simple ownership || `unsafe` for convenience | UB risk | Find safe pattern || OOP via `Deref` | Misleading API | Composition, traits || Giant match arms | Unmaintainable | Extract to methods || `String` everywhere | Allocation waste | `&str`, `Cow<str>` || Ignoring `#[must_use]` | Lost errors | Handle or `let _ =` |---## Thinking PromptWhen seeing suspicious code:1. **Is this symptom or cause?** - Clone to avoid borrow? → Ownership design issue - Unwrap "because it won't fail"? → Unhandled case2. **What would idiomatic code look like?** - References instead of clones - Iterators instead of index loops - Pattern matching instead of flags3. **Does this fight Rust?** - Fighting borrow checker → restructure - Excessive unsafe → find safe pattern---## Top 5 Beginner Mistakes| Rank | Mistake | Fix ||------|---------|-----|| 1 | Clone to escape borrow checker | Use references || 2 | Unwrap in production | Propagate with `?` || 3 | String for everything | Use `&str` || 4 | Index loops | Use iterators || 5 | Fighting lifetimes | Restructure to own data |## Code Smell → Refactoring| Smell | Indicates | Refactoring ||-------|-----------|-------------|| Many `.clone()` | Ownership unclear | Clarify data flow || Many `.unwrap()` | Error handling missing | Add proper handling || Many `pub` fields | Encapsulation broken | Private + accessors || Deep nesting | Complex logic | Extract methods || Long functions | Multiple responsibilities | Split || Giant enums | Missing abstraction | Trait + types |---## Common Error Patterns| Error | Anti-Pattern Cause | Fix ||-------|-------------------|-----|| E0382 use after move | Cloning vs ownership | Proper references || Panic in production | Unwrap everywhere | ?, matching || Slow performance | String for all text | &str, Cow || Borrow checker fights | Wrong structure | Restructure || Memory bloat | Rc/Arc everywhere | Simple ownership |---## Deprecated → Better| Deprecated | Better ||------------|--------|| Index-based loops | `.iter()`, `.enumerate()` || `collect::<Vec<_>>()` then iterate | Chain iterators || Manual unsafe cell | `Cell`, `RefCell` || `mem::transmute` for casts | `as` or `TryFrom` || Custom linked list | `Vec`, `VecDeque` || `lazy_static!` | `std::sync::OnceLock` |---## Quick Review Checklist- [ ] No `.clone()` without justification- [ ] No `.unwrap()` in library code- [ ] No `pub` fields with invariants- [ ] No index loops when iterator works- [ ] No `String` where `&str` suffices- [ ] No ignored `#[must_use]` warnings- [ ] No `unsafe` without SAFETY comment- [ ] No giant functions (>50 lines)---> Source: [christestet/owui-lint](https://github.com/christestet/owui-lint) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).

Frequently asked questions

Rust Anti Patterns