️🛠 - Clean up error handling

[maxwellmattryan]

Description

Errors need to be handled more cleanly and at a higher level in the library / program. Use Result for error handling. Propagate errors using ? operator and handle them at a higher level.

Use assertions (assert!, debug_assert!) for development and debugging. debug_assert! is removed in release builds, making it suitable for checks that are too costly in production.

A missing file is an error, not a bug, and the program should deal with it. Trying to de-reference a null pointer is a bug, and the program should acknowledge that something smells like bad cheese.

Requirements

TBD

Checklist

• I have linked the correct milestone and/or project(s)
• I have added the appropriate labels
• I have assigned this task to the correct people