Associated functions are functions that are defined on a type. They are similar to methods, but they do not have a `self` parameter. This means that they can be called without having an instance of the type. Associated functions are often used for constructors that will return a new instance of the struct. Here is an example of an associated function:
struct Rectangle {
width: u32,
height: u32,
}
impl Rectangle {
fn square(size: u32) -> Self {
Self {
width: size,
height: size,
}
}
}
This associated function, `square`, takes a single `size` parameter and returns a new `Rectangle` with the width and height set to the same value. To call this associated function, we would use the following code:
let sq = Rectangle::square(3);
This code would create a new `Rectangle` with a width and height of 3.
Associated functions can be a useful way to provide constructors for structs. They can also be used for other purposes, such as providing utility functions that are specific to a particular type.
