Prevent integer overflow in Rust by using checked_* methods for safe handling or wrapping_* methods for explicit wrapping behavior.
Prevent integer overflow in Rust by using the checked_* methods to return Option on overflow or wrapping_* methods to wrap values explicitly. In debug mode, Rust panics on overflow by default, while release mode wraps silently unless you use these methods.
let a: u8 = 255;
let result = a.checked_add(1);
// result is None because 256 overflows u8
let wrapped = a.wrapping_add(1);
// wrapped is 0
Integer overflow happens when a number gets too big for its container, causing it to either crash or silently turn into a wrong number. Rust lets you choose how to handle this: you can make it stop and tell you (panic), silently wrap around to zero, or return a special "no result" signal so you can handle it safely. Think of it like a car odometer that either stops, resets to zero, or flashes a warning light when it hits its limit.