Five Issues with std::expected and How to Fix Them

Explore the practical challenges and limitations of std::expected, the C++23 error handling abstraction, in this conference talk from C++Now 2025. Learn about five significant issues that arise when using std::expected as a primary error-handling mechanism in large codebases, including common pitfalls and their potential solutions. Discover real-world code samples and open-source helper utilities that address gaps in the standard library functionality. Gain insights into workarounds for current limitations and understand how to contribute to the evolution of this abstraction through future improvement proposals. The presentation covers both theoretical concepts and practical implementation strategies, making it valuable for software engineers seeking to effectively utilize std::expected while understanding its constraints. Presented by Vitaly Fanaskov, a principal software engineer at reMarkable with over 10 years of C++ development experience and expertise in framework and library design.