Exception Handling in C++

Exception handling is a powerful feature in C++ that allows you to handle and recover from exceptional situations or errors that may occur during program execution. Exceptions provide a structured way to handle errors and ensure that your program can gracefully recover from unexpected conditions. In this lesson, we'll explore the basics of exception handling in C++ and how to effectively handle and manage exceptions in your code.

Try-Catch Blocks

Exception handling in C++ is done using try-catch blocks. The code that may potentially throw an exception is placed inside a try block, and the code that handles the exception is placed inside a catch block. If an exception occurs within the try block, the program immediately jumps to the catch block that matches the type of the thrown exception, allowing you to handle the exception in an appropriate manner.

try {
    // Code that may potentially throw an exception
} catch (ExceptionType1& ex1) {
    // Handle ExceptionType1
} catch (ExceptionType2& ex2) {
    // Handle ExceptionType2
} catch (...) {
    // Handle any other exceptions
}

Throwing Exceptions

Exceptions can be thrown explicitly using the throw keyword. When an exception is thrown, the control flow of the program immediately transfers to the appropriate catch block. You can throw exceptions of any type, including built-in types, user-defined types, or even standard library exceptions.

void myFunction() {
    if (/* Some condition */) {
        throw MyException("An error occurred"); // Throwing a user-defined exception
    }
}

Exception Safety

Exception safety is an important consideration when designing and implementing exception handling in C++. It refers to the ability of a program to handle exceptions in a way that prevents resource leaks and maintains the integrity of the program's state. C++ provides mechanisms such as RAII (Resource Acquisition Is Initialization) and smart pointers to help achieve exception safety.

Conclusion

Exception handling is a powerful feature in C++ that allows you to gracefully handle and recover from exceptional situations or errors. By using try-catch blocks, you can effectively handle exceptions and ensure that your program behaves in a predictable manner even when unexpected conditions arise. Understanding exception handling and practicing good exception safety techniques will help you write robust and reliable C++ code.