> For programs in C/C++ where exception handling can get messy and affects the performance (which is the whole reason for using C/C++) there's a decent reason to avoid exceptions and use return codes

Nowadays, performance is almost never a reason to avoid exceptions in C++. The only exception (pun intended) I'm aware of is hard real-time applications where people might die if a computation takes too long (in such applications, even malloc is banned).

> There's also a perfect reason for using return codes on actions where failure is common or expected, and where a user will likely have a fall-back plan

Yes. Though more or less a matter of taste, the code can sometimes look simpler and clearer to me when checking for common and expected failure return codes, rather than throwing and catching exceptions.

See also:

• Exceptions and Error Handling (ISO C++) - 'As a rule of thumb, exception handling is extremely cheap when you don't throw an exception. It costs nothing on some implementations. All the cost is incurred when you throw an exception: that is, "normal code" is faster than code using error-return codes and tests. You incur cost only when you have an error.'
• In what ways do c++ exceptions slow down code when there are no exceptions thrown (SO)
• Does try catch in C++ affect performance when not hit (SO)

Real-time Computing References

• Fault tolerance (wikipedia)
• Embedded system (wikipedia)

• Real-time computing (wikipedia)
• Safety-critical system (wikipedia)
• Software fault tolerance (wikipedia)

• RAID (wikipedia) - redundant array of inexpensive/independent disks
• Cloud storage (wikipedia) - a model of computer data storage in which data, said to be on "the cloud", is stored remotely in logical pools and is accessible to users over a network, typically the Internet

• Arduino (wikipedia) - designs and manufactures single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices
• Dongle (wikipedia) - a small piece of computer hardware that connects to a port on another device to provide it with additional functionality
• GPSd - gpsd is a service daemon that monitors one or more GPSes or AIS receivers attached to a host computer through serial or USB ports, making all data on the location/course/velocity of the sensors available to be queried on TCP port 2947 of the host computer

• GPS::NMEA by Slaven Rezic (CPAN) - Perl interface to GPS equipment using the NMEA Protocol
• Tutorial for NMEA GPS

• perlipc (perldoc)
• alarm (perldoc)

• Basic Fault Tolerant Software Techniques (geekforgeeks)

Virtual Machines References

• Re^2: Dancer newbie question by NERDVANA (2024) - advises managing your own virtual machine on a cloud platform like Linode or Digital Ocean (notes that DigitalOcean also has the App service which deploys one of your GitHub repos directly into a VM for you)
• Re: An update (was: Re^2: Holding site variables) by afoken (2024) - advises Bod to consider using virtual machines for the development server; compares VMware, VirtualBox, Proxmox (Debian Linux, provides VMs and containers, open source); RAID, SATA SSDs v SMRs, UPS discussed too