From 2e599425557cb18dbef982907634b8dc5a0d76ba Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Reality Enjoyer <git@88842069.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2026 16:37:23 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] update error handling example

- replaced `match`s with `?`s where possible
- it should not be considered an improvement tho
- turns out `?` is best used when you are returning `Result<T,E>`s
- we were returning `String`s
- so we had to wrap all successful string returns in `Ok()`s
- which is just clunky
- good learning but its time to move on!
---
 error-handling/src/main.rs | 66 +++++++++-----------------------------
 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 51 deletions(-)

diff --git a/error-handling/src/main.rs b/error-handling/src/main.rs
index db0b71b..c2e1f31 100644
--- a/error-handling/src/main.rs
+++ b/error-handling/src/main.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ use std::fs::{self, File};
 use std::io::{self, Read};
 
 fn main() {
-    // read file or create it if it doesnt exist
     match read_or_create_usernames_file() {
         Ok(_) => (),
         Err(e) => {
@@ -11,74 +10,39 @@ fn main() {
         }
     }
 
-    // print users
-    let usernames = get_or_set_usernames();
-
+    let usernames = get_or_set_usernames().unwrap();
     println!("printing usernames:\n{usernames:?}");
 }
 
-fn get_or_set_usernames() -> String {
+fn get_or_set_usernames() -> Result<String, io::Error> {
     let usernames_file = File::open("usernames.txt");
-    let mut usernames = String::new();
 
-    match usernames_file.unwrap().read_to_string(&mut usernames) {
-        Ok(_) => (),
-        Err(e) => return format!("could not read from file!\n{e:?}").to_string(),
-    }
+    let mut usernames_file_copy = File::open("usernames.txt")?;
+    let mut usernames = String::new();
+    usernames_file_copy.read_to_string(&mut usernames)?;
 
     if !usernames.is_empty() {
-        return usernames;
+        return Ok(usernames);
     } else {
         println!("file is empty! adding the admin user");
-        let add_first_user = fs::write("usernames.txt", "admin");
-        match add_first_user {
-            Ok(_) => {
-                println!("added admin");
-            }
-
-            Err(e) => {
-                println!(
-                    "could not add the admin user
-                    error: {e:?}"
-                );
-                return format!(
-                    "file is empty and we could not add the admin user
-                    {e:?}"
-                )
-                .to_string();
-            }
-        }
+        fs::write("usernames.txt", "admin")?;
     }
 
-    let usernames_file = File::open("usernames.txt");
+    // here lies the clunky part
+    File::open("usernames.txt")?;
     let mut usernames = String::new();
-
-    match usernames_file.unwrap().read_to_string(&mut usernames) {
-        Ok(_) => (),
-        Err(e) => return format!("could not read from file after adding admin\n{e:?}").to_string(),
-    }
-    usernames
+    usernames_file.unwrap().read_to_string(&mut usernames)?;
+    Ok(usernames)
 }
 
-fn read_or_create_usernames_file() -> Result<File, io::Error> {
+fn read_or_create_usernames_file() -> Result<u8, io::Error> {
     let file_exists = File::open("usernames.txt");
-
     match file_exists {
-        Ok(filename) => return Ok(filename),
+        Ok(_) => (),
         Err(e) => {
             println!("file does not exist!\n{e:?}\ncreating usernames.txt");
-
-            let create_file = File::create("usernames.txt");
-
-            match create_file {
-                Ok(filename) => {
-                    println!("created file: {filename:?}");
-                    return Ok(filename);
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    return Err(e);
-                }
-            }
+            File::create("usernames.txt")?;
         }
     }
+    return Ok(0);
 }