Databases
StackOverflow2013
Postsdbo
POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
 

Note that there are some explanatory texts on larger screens.

plurals
  1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
    primarykey
    data
    text
    <p>To avoid all standard-answers I could have Googled on, I will provide an example you all can attack at will.</p> <p>C# and Java (and too many others) have with plenty of types some of ‘overflow’ behaviour I don’t like at all (e.g <code>type.MaxValue + type.SmallestValue == type.MinValue</code> for example : <code>int.MaxValue + 1 == int.MinValue</code>).</p> <p>But, seen my vicious nature, I’ll add some insult to this injury by expanding this behaviour to, let’s say an Overridden <code>DateTime</code> type. (I know <code>DateTime</code> is sealed in .NET, but for the sake of this example, I’m using a pseudo language that is exactly like C#, except for the fact that DateTime isn’t sealed).</p> <p>The overridden <code>Add</code> method: </p> <pre class="lang-cs prettyprint-override"><code>/// &lt;summary&gt; /// Increments this date with a timespan, but loops when /// the maximum value for datetime is exceeded. /// &lt;/summary&gt; /// &lt;param name="ts"&gt;The timespan to (try to) add&lt;/param&gt; /// &lt;returns&gt;The Date, incremented with the given timespan. /// If DateTime.MaxValue is exceeded, the sum wil 'overflow' and /// continue from DateTime.MinValue. /// &lt;/returns&gt; public DateTime override Add(TimeSpan ts) { try { return base.Add(ts); } catch (ArgumentOutOfRangeException nb) { // calculate how much the MaxValue is exceeded // regular program flow TimeSpan saldo = ts - (base.MaxValue - this); return DateTime.MinValue.Add(saldo) } catch(Exception anyOther) { // 'real' exception handling. } } </code></pre> <p>Of course an if could solve this just as easy, but the fact remains that I just fail to see why you couldn’t use exceptions (logically that is, I can see that when performance is an issue that in certain cases exceptions should be avoided).</p> <p>I think in many cases they are more clear than if-structures and don’t break any contract the method is making.</p> <p>IMHO the “Never use them for regular program flow” reaction everybody seems to have is not that well underbuild as the strength of that reaction can justify.</p> <p>Or am I mistaken?</p> <p>I've read other posts, dealing with all kind of special cases, but my point is there's nothing wrong with it if you are both:</p> <ol> <li>Clear</li> <li>Honour the contract of your method</li> </ol> <p>Shoot me.</p>
    singulars
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. PTQuestion
    1. USPeter
    1. USPeter
    plurals
    1. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    2. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    1. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    2. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    3. PL
      singulars
      1. LTLinked
    1. This table or related slice is empty.
    1. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    2. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    3. PO
      singulars
      1. PTAnswer
    1. VO
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. USMrTelly
      1. VTFavorite
    2. VO
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. This table or related slice is empty.
      1. VTUpMod
    3. VO
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. This table or related slice is empty.
      1. VTUpMod
    1. COGreat question +1
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. USMrTelly
    2. CO+1 I feel the same way. Besides performance, the only good reason to avoid exceptions-for-control-flow is when caller code will be much more readable with return values.
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. This table or related slice is empty.
    3. COis the: return -1 if something happened, return -2 if something else, etc... really more readable then exceptions?
      singulars
      1. POWhy not use exceptions as regular flow of control?
      1. USkender
 

Querying!

 
Guidance
A row detail

Detail views are divided into sections. All the information in the data section comes from columns in the selected row. The other sections display data from other, related rows.

Related data can be related in a to-one or a to-many fashion. Captions of data related in a to-many fashion link to a list view showing a filtered view of the table.

Try moving around until you find a non-empty to-many entry and click on the label to get to one. You can move back to the root by clicking on the database name in the header.

SQuiL has stopped working due to an internal error.

If you are curious you may find further information in the browser console, which is accessible through the devtools (F12).

Reload