C++ Primer, Fifth Edition

18.1. Exception Handling

Exception handling allows independently developed parts of a program to communicate about and handle problems that arise at run time. Exceptions let us separate problem detection from problem resolution. One part of the program can detect a problem and can pass the job of resolving that problem to another part of the program. The detecting part need not know anything about the handling part, and vice versa.

In § 5.6 (p. 193) we introduced the basic concepts and mechanics of using exceptions. In this section we’ll expand our coverage of these basics. Effective use of exception handling requires understanding what happens when an exception is thrown, what happens when it is caught, and the meaning of the objects that communicate ...