Rust tricks for the average developer (me)

001 : &str and AsRef<OsStr>

The change from:

pub fn load_extension(&self, path: &str) -> Result<()>

to:

pub fn load_extension<P: AsRef<std::ffi::OsStr>>(&self, path: P) -> Result<()>

improves flexibility and usability. The original function only accepted &str, requiring explicit conversion for types like String, PathBuf, or Path. The updated version uses a generic parameter P with the AsRef<std::ffi::OsStr> trait, allowing it to accept any type that can be referenced as an OsStr, such as &str, String, Path, or PathBuf.

Original Implementation:

use std::path::Path;

let path_str = String::from("/some/path");
let path_ref = Path::new("/another/path");

// Example 1: Using String
instance.load_extension(path_str);

// Example 2: Using &Path
instance.load_extension(&path_ref);

// Example 3: Using Path directly
instance.load_extension(Path::new("/yet/another/path"));

This reduces boilerplate and improves compatibility with different path types.