rust-stack

Prefer explicit error types and propagation over panics or opaque results. Define concrete error enums for your domain and use the question mark operator to propagate them clearly through call stacks.

Use async only where it adds real value, such as concurrent I/O-bound work. Avoid introducing async and trait abstractions prematurely, since they add complexity to ownership and error handling.

Be mindful of clone-heavy workarounds that hide allocation costs. Restructure ownership and borrowing so data is passed by reference where possible, keeping lifetimes understandable rather than fighting the borrow checker.

Minimize unsafe usage and make it obvious when present. Isolate unsafe blocks behind safe abstractions with clear documentation of the invariants they rely on.

Guidelines cannot replace profiling or domain knowledge. They steer design toward maintainability but do not measure actual performance, so validate allocation and async decisions with benchmarks when performance matters.