cpp-to-rust

AI-powered C/C++ → Rust conversion agent.

Why C/C++

• Memory safety vulnerabilities account for ~70% of all security bugs (Microsoft, Google, NSA)
• Billions of lines of C/C++ in operating systems, browsers, databases, embedded systems
• The White House, NSA, and DARPA are all calling for memory-safe language adoption
• DARPA's TRACTOR program targets C→Rust, but focuses on formal verification. We focus on AI-driven practical conversion at scale.

How It Works

C/C++ project (source + test suite)
    ↓ 1. Parse & analyze (headers, macros, templates, memory patterns)
    ↓ 2. AI converts each module to Rust
    ↓ 3. cargo check (must compile)
    ↓ 4. Run both C/C++ & Rust with same inputs, compare outputs
    ↓ 5. Diff? → AI fixes → goto 3
    ↓ 6. Repeat until all outputs match
Verified Rust binary

Version Compatibility

C and C++ are treated as separate tracks due to vast differences in complexity.

C Track

C Standard	Priority	Notes
C99	First	Most common in production. Linux kernel baseline.
C11	First	Threads, atomics. Modern systems code.
C17	Second	Bug fixes over C11. Minor changes.
C89/ANSI C	Third	Oldest codebases. Simpler = easier to convert.
C23	Fourth	Latest. Limited adoption so far.

C++ Track

C++ Standard	Priority	Notes
C++17	First	Sweet spot: modern features, wide adoption.
C++11/14	First	Lambdas, move semantics. Large existing codebase.
C++20	Second	Concepts, ranges, coroutines. Growing adoption.
C++03	Third	Pre-modern C++. Enterprise legacy.
C++23	Fourth	Latest. Limited adoption.

Older C is simpler to convert. Older C++ (pre-11) is verbose but predictable. Modern C++ templates and metaprogramming are the hardest challenge.

Auto-detection: cpp-to-rust analyze detects the standard used via compiler flags and feature usage.

Key Challenges

C/C++ Feature	Conversion Strategy
Raw pointers	Ownership + borrowing analysis
Manual malloc/free	RAII, Box, Vec, Arc
Preprocessor macros	Rust macros or const/inline
C++ templates	Rust generics + traits
Undefined behavior	Eliminate entirely (Rust's guarantee)
Union types	Rust enums
Goto statements	Restructured control flow

Differentiation from DARPA TRACTOR

	DARPA TRACTOR	cpp-to-rust
Approach	Formal verification + AI	AI agent + output comparison
Speed	Provably correct, slower	Practically correct, faster
Scope	Research	Production use

Status

Concept. Architecture design in progress.

Part of LegacyToRust Project

License

MIT