Exception Specifiers in C : Should You Use Them?

Exception specifiers in C allow you to indicate whether a function may throw exceptions of specific types. However, doubts arise regarding their actual usefulness due to concerns about compiler enforcement, program termination, and non-standard behavior in Visual Studio .NET.

Why Not to Use Exception Specifiers:

1. Limited Enforcement: Compilers do not strictly enforce exception specifiers, reducing the benefits they provide.
2. Program Termination: Violating an exception specifier can lead to program termination instead of the expected exception being thrown.
3. Extensibility Problems: Exception specifications can make it difficult to extend functions by adding more exception types.
4. Legacy Code Integration: It is challenging to rely on exception specifications when dealing with legacy code with unpredictable exception behavior.
5. Error Handling Practices: Modern error handling practices favor returning common errors and only throwing exceptions for exceptional situations.

Despite these drawbacks, there may be instances where using exception specifications can clarify intent, particularly when dealing with libraries that throw only your defined exceptions.

In summary, while exception specifiers can provide some benefits, their limitations and challenges often outweigh their advantages. It is generally recommended to avoid using them in most cases and instead focus on implementing robust error handling practices.