Catch by Value or Catch by Reference: Which is Better for C Exception Handling?

Exception Handling in C : Catching by Value or Reference

The best practice for exception handling in C involves adhering to the principle of "throw by value, catch by reference." Understanding the intricacies of exception handling is crucial to making informed decisions and writing robust code.

Catching Exceptions by Value

Catching exceptions by value, as exemplified in the code snippet provided, appears straightforward but can lead to problems in scenarios where inheritance is involved. Suppose there exists a derived exception type, MyException, that inherits from CustomException. If a MyException is thrown, catching it by value would result in a conversion to a CustomException instance, potentially altering its properties such as the error code.

Catching Exceptions by Reference

Catching exceptions by reference, as demonstrated with the code snippet catch(CustomException &e), provides a more reliable approach. By capturing the reference, the exception object's properties remain intact, ensuring that the exception handling code operates correctly even in the presence of inheritance hierarchies. This approach preserves the original exception's type and provides access to its specialized members, if any.

Conclusion

Adhering to the principle of throwing by value and catching by reference establishes a consistent and effective approach to exception handling in C . By taking into account the nuances of inheritance in exception handling, developers can write code that responds reliably to unexpected scenarios and maintains the integrity of the exception information.

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