Provided by: libexception-class-trycatch-perl_1.13-1_all 
NAME
Exception::Class::TryCatch - Syntactic try/catch sugar for use with Exception::Class
VERSION
version 1.13
SYNOPSIS
use Exception::Class::TryCatch;
# simple usage of catch()
eval { Exception::Class::Base->throw('error') };
catch my $err and warn $err->error;
# catching only certain types or else rethrowing
eval { Exception::Class::Base::SubClass->throw('error') };
catch( my $err, ['Exception::Class::Base', 'Other::Exception'] )
and warn $err->error;
# catching and handling different types of errors
eval { Exception::Class::Base->throw('error') };
if ( catch my $err ) {
$err->isa('this') and do { handle_this($err) };
$err->isa('that') and do { handle_that($err) };
}
# use "try eval" to push exceptions onto a stack to catch later
try eval {
Exception::Class::Base->throw('error')
};
do {
# cleanup that might use "try/catch" again
};
catch my $err; # catches a matching "try"
DESCRIPTION
Exception::Class::TryCatch provides syntactic sugar for use with Exception::Class using the familiar
keywords "try" and "catch". Its primary objective is to allow users to avoid dealing directly with $@ by
ensuring that any exceptions caught in an "eval" are captured as Exception::Class objects, whether they
were thrown objects to begin with or whether the error resulted from "die". This means that users may
immediately use "isa" and various Exception::Class methods to process the exception.
In addition, this module provides for a method to push errors onto a hidden error stack immediately after
an "eval" so that cleanup code or other error handling may also call "eval" without the original error in
$@ being lost.
Inspiration for this module is due in part to Dave Rolsky's article "Exception Handling in Perl With
Exception::Class" in The Perl Journal (Rolsky 2004).
The "try/catch" syntax used in this module does not use code reference prototypes the way the Error.pm
module does, but simply provides some helpful functionality when used in combination with "eval". As a
result, it avoids the complexity and dangers involving nested closures and memory leaks inherent in
Error.pm (Perrin 2003).
Rolsky (2004) notes that these memory leaks may not occur in recent versions of Perl, but the approach
used in Exception::Class::TryCatch should be safe for all versions of Perl as it leaves all code
execution to the "eval" in the current scope, avoiding closures altogether.
USAGE
"catch"
# zero argument form
my $err = catch;
# one argument forms
catch my $err;
my $err = catch( [ 'Exception::Type', 'Exception::Other::Type' ] );
# two argument form
catch my $err, [ 'Exception::Type', 'Exception::Other::Type' ];
Returns an "Exception::Class::Base" object (or an object which is a subclass of it) if an exception has
been caught by "eval". If no exception was thrown, it returns "undef" in scalar context and an empty
list in list context. The exception is either popped from a hidden error stack (see "try") or, if the
stack is empty, taken from the current value of $@.
If the exception is not an "Exception::Class::Base" object (or subclass object), an
"Exception::Class::Base" object will be created using the string contents of the exception. This means
that calls to "die" will be wrapped and may be treated as exception objects. Other objects caught will
be stringified and wrapped likewise. Such wrapping will likely result in confusing stack traces and the
like, so any methods other than "error" used on "Exception::Class::Base" objects caught should be used
with caution.
"catch" is prototyped to take up to two optional scalar arguments. The single argument form has two
variations.
• If the argument is a reference to an array, any exception caught that is not of the same type (or a
subtype) of one of the classes listed in the array will be rethrown.
• If the argument is not a reference to an array, "catch" will set the argument to the same value that
is returned. This allows for the "catch my $err" idiom without parentheses.
In the two-argument form, the first argument is set to the same value as is returned. The second
argument must be an array reference and is handled the same as as for the single argument version with an
array reference, as given above.
"caught" (DEPRECATED)
"caught" is a synonym for "catch" for syntactic convenience.
NOTE: Exception::Class version 1.21 added a "caught" method of its own. It provides somewhat similar
functionality to this subroutine, but with very different semantics. As this class is intended to work
closely with Exception::Class, the existence of a subroutine and a method with the same name is liable to
cause confusion and this method is deprecated and may be removed in future releases of
Exception::Class::TryCatch.
This method is no longer exported by default.
"try"
# void context
try eval {
# dangerous code
};
do {
# cleanup code can use try/catch
};
catch my $err;
# scalar context
$rv = try eval { return $scalar };
# list context
@rv = try [ eval { return @array } ];
Pushes the current error ($@) onto a hidden error stack for later use by "catch". "try" uses a prototype
that expects a single scalar so that it can be used with eval without parentheses. As "eval { BLOCK }"
is an argument to try, it will be evaluated just prior to "try", ensuring that "try" captures the correct
error status. "try" does not itself handle any errors -- it merely records the results of "eval". "try {
BLOCK }" will be interpreted as passing a hash reference and will (probably) not compile. (And if it
does, it will result in very unexpected behavior.)
Since "try" requires a single argument, "eval" will normally be called in scalar context. To use "eval"
in list context with "try", put the call to "eval" in an anonymous array:
@rv = try [ eval {return @array} ];
When "try" is called in list context, if the argument to "try" is an array reference, "try" will
dereference the array and return the resulting list.
In scalar context, "try" passes through the scalar value returned by "eval" without modifications -- even
if that is an array reference.
$rv = try eval { return $scalar };
$rv = try eval { return [ qw( anonymous array ) ] };
Of course, if the eval throws an exception, "eval" and thus "try" will return undef.
"try" must always be properly bracketed with a matching "catch" or unexpected behavior may result when
"catch" pops the error off of the stack. "try" executes right after its "eval", so inconsistent usage of
"try" like the following will work as expected:
try eval {
eval { die "inner" };
catch my $inner_err
die "outer" if $inner_err;
};
catch my $outer_err;
# handle $outer_err;
However, the following code is a problem:
# BAD EXAMPLE
try eval {
try eval { die "inner" };
die $@ if $@;
};
catch my $outer_err;
# handle $outer_err;
This code will appear to run correctly, but "catch" gets the exception from the inner "try", not the
outer one, and there will still be an exception on the error stack which will be caught by the next
"catch" in the program, causing unexpected (and likely hard to track) behavior.
In short, if you use "try", you must have a matching "catch". The problem code above should be rewritten
as:
try eval {
try eval { die "inner" };
catch my $inner_err;
$inner_err->rethrow if $inner_err;
};
catch my $outer_err;
# handle $outer_err;
REFERENCES
1. perrin. (2003), "Re: Re2: Learning how to use the Error module by example", (perlmonks.org),
Available: http://www.perlmonks.org/index.pl?node_id=278900 (Accessed September 8, 2004).
2. Rolsky, D. (2004), "Exception Handling in Perl with Exception::Class", The Perl Journal, vol. 8, no.
7, pp. 9-13
SEE ALSO
• Exception::Class
• Error -- but see (Perrin 2003) before using
SUPPORT
Bugs / Feature Requests
Please report any bugs or feature requests through the issue tracker at
<https://github.com/dagolden/Exception-Class-TryCatch/issues>. You will be notified automatically of any
progress on your issue.
Source Code
This is open source software. The code repository is available for public review and contribution under
the terms of the license.
<https://github.com/dagolden/Exception-Class-TryCatch>
git clone https://github.com/dagolden/Exception-Class-TryCatch.git
AUTHOR
David Golden <dagolden@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE
This software is Copyright (c) 2014 by David Golden.
This is free software, licensed under:
The Apache License, Version 2.0, January 2004