How to log errors properly in Rust

Use Result<T, E> for recoverable errors and panic! only for unrecoverable states.

use std::fs::File;

fn read_file(path: &str) -> Result<String, std::io::Error> {
    let mut file = File::open(path)?;
    let mut contents = String::new();
    file.read_to_string(&mut contents)?;
    Ok(contents)
}

fn main() {
    match read_file("data.txt") {
        Ok(content) => println!("File content: {content}"),
        Err(e) => eprintln!("Failed to read file: {e}"),
    }
}

Rust forces you to handle errors explicitly so your program doesn't crash unexpectedly. Think of it like a recipe that tells you exactly what to do if an ingredient is missing, rather than just stopping and burning the kitchen down. You use Result to pass errors along safely or panic! when the program cannot continue.