Python:
Writing to standard error

How to:

Using sys.stderr

Python’s built-in sys module allows explicit writing to stderr. This approach is straightforward for simple error messages or diagnostics.

import sys

sys.stderr.write('Error: Something went wrong.\n')

Sample output (to stderr):

Error: Something went wrong.

Using the print function

Python’s print function can redirect its output to stderr by specifying the file parameter. This method is useful for leveraging print’s user-friendliness while handling error messages.

from sys import stderr

print('Error: Failure in module.', file=stderr)

Sample output (to stderr):

Error: Failure in module.

Using the logging module

For a more comprehensive solution, Python’s logging module can direct messages to stderr and much more, such as writing to a file or customizing message format. This method is best for applications requiring varying levels of logging, message formatting, or destinations.

import logging

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.WARNING)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

logger.error('Error: Database connection failed.')

Sample output (to stderr):

ERROR:__main__:Error: Database connection failed.

Third-party libraries: loguru

loguru is a popular third-party library that simplifies logging in Python applications. It automatically directs errors to stderr, among other features.

To use loguru, first install it via pip:

pip install loguru

Then, incorporate it into your Python script as follows:

from loguru import logger

logger.error('Error: Failed to open file.')

Sample output (to stderr):

2023-04-05 12:00:00.000 | ERROR    | __main__:<module>:6 - Error: Failed to open file.