Ergonomics Overview

This section collects high-signal, copy-pasteable guidance for day-to-day use without re-explaining the security model. Each page is short and focused so you can jump directly to what you need.

New to strict-path?

Start with Daily Usage Patterns for common workflows and real-world examples.

Quick Reference

• Builtin I/O Operations: Complete guide to file/directory operations, when to use builtin methods vs std::fs
• Generic Functions & Markers: Write reusable functions with <M>, understand when to use generic vs specific markers
• Daily Usage Patterns: Common workflows (user input validation, config loading, per-user isolation, archive extraction, etc.)
• Interop vs Display: How to pass paths to std/third-party APIs vs how to render them for users
• Function Signatures: Encode guarantees in types; when to accept strict/virtual vs roots + segments
• Escape Hatches: Borrowing and ownership conversions; when to use them (sparingly)
• Equality & Ordering: How comparisons work; what to compare and what not to
• Naming Conventions: Domain-first naming that teaches intent in code review
• Canonicalized vs Lexical: Choosing the right solution for your use case

For in-depth design and security rationale, see Best Practices and Anti-Patterns. This section stays focused on ergonomics.