Rust Error Handling: A Hybrid Approach with Snafu
2025-08-30
Error handling in Rust is a hotly debated topic. `anyhow` offers a generic error type for easy debugging, while `thiserror` provides precise enum types for better API design. This article details Iroh's hybrid approach using Snafu, which combines the precision of `thiserror` with the ease of use of `anyhow`, while overcoming Rust's backtrace limitations. It cleverly preserves detailed context and backtraces in error chains. The `n0-snafu` crate further simplifies Snafu usage, particularly in tests. Iroh's choice of Snafu balances precision and usability for efficient error handling.
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