CPSC 122 – Data Structures

Exceptions
What is an Exception

š A signal that a problem has occurred during program execution that requires special
processing

š Exceptions should only occur during “exceptional” circumstances

š C++ provides a mechanism for handling exceptions so that programs don’t just “crash” or
stop executing, without a chance to recover
Error Testing

š Signal errors or unexpected events that occur while a program is running.

š Error testing is usually involves if statements or other control mechanisms

What is Exception Handling

š A process for detecting and resolving exceptions

š C++ exception handling is built on three keywords

§ try
§ catch
§ throw
Exceptions handle complex error conditions

š error occurs -- an exception is “thrown”

š Same problem different code

throw key word is followed by an argument, which can be any value

Handling an Exception
try Block

š Contains code that might generate an exception

catch Handler

š Executes as a result of an exception

š The correct handler is “activated” when a match occurs between the type of exception
thrown and type of parameter for the handler

š An exception parameter should always be declared as a reference to the type of

exception in the handler
 Division function Example

If this statement throws an exception...

... then this statement is

skipped.
Division function Example
Multiple catch blocks