Rust - New Guidance on Committing Lockfiles

The article discusses a change in guidance for Rust developers regarding the committing of Cargo.lock files. Previously, the Cargo team encouraged developers to commit the lockfile for packages with binaries but not libraries. However, they now recommend that developers do what is best for their project. To help with the decision-making process, the article suggests committing the Cargo.lock file as a starting point. The article explains that this change is in line with the goal of testing against the latest dependencies. However, it acknowledges that there are downsides, such as the removal of an important piece of history from code bases and potential confusion for contributors. The change is driven by the shift of Rust from being a language for early adopters to being more mainstream, and the need to consider the onboarding experience for new developers. The article also mentions the wider software development ecosystem and the availability of tools like Dependabot and Renovate for managing dependencies. Ultimately, the choice of whether to commit the lockfile is left to the developers, with the article providing the necessary information to make an informed decision.