Error: local file handler mismanagement causes variable assignment issues. Refactor your code using a context manager. For example:
def update_score(update, context):
with open('score_file.json', 'r') as file_handle:
scores = json.load(file_handle)
# process scores here
Based on my own experience working on a similar bot, I found that creating a robust file handling strategy was critical for stability. In one instance, overlooking the proper management of file handlers led to unexpected crashes when multiple processes tried to access the same file. Refactoring the code to utilize a context manager not only solved the immediate issue but also prevented further race conditions and file corruption. Using this approach allowed me to add error logging around file operations, making it easier to diagnose problems in production.