Exceptions as Objects

Overview

This article describes many aspects of Exceptions as Objects (ECMA-367 8.26) which will be implemented in ISE Eiffel. All exceptions will be raised as objects which can be accessed by `last_exception'. Exceptions as objects are known as type EXCEPTION and its descendants. EXCEPTION_MANAGER is introduced to handle common exception class operations, i.e. catch, and ignore.

Exception class hierarchy

 EXCEPTION
    SYSTEM_EXCEPTION
       MACHINE_EXCEPTION
          OPERATING_SYSTEM_EXCEPTION
             COM_FAILURE
             OPERATING_SYSTEM_FAILURE
             OPERATING_SYSTEM_SIGNAL_FAILURE
          HARDWARE_EXCEPTION
             FLOATING_POINT_FAILURE
          EIFFEL_EXCEPTION
          LANGUAGE_EXCEPTION
             BAD_INSPECT_VALUE
             VOID_TARGET
             VOID_ASSIGNED_TO_EXPANDED
                ROUTINE_FAILURE
                EIFFELSTUDIO_SPECIFIC_LANGUAGE_EXCEPTION
                   CREATE_ON_DEFERRED
                   DOLLAR_APPLIED_TO_MELTED_FEATURE    REMOVE ?  IF NOT, CHANGE NAME (USE E.G. "ADDRESS" INST. OF "DOLLAR"
          EIFFEL_RUNTIME_EXCEPTION
             NO_MORE_MEMORY
             DATA_EXCEPTION
                IO_FAILURE
                SERIALIZATION_FAILURE
                MISMATCH_FAILURE
                EXTERNAL_FAILURE-- Only used for threads at the moment
                EIFFEL_RUNTIME_PANIC               
   ASSERTION_VIOLATION
      INVARIANT_VIOLATION
      PRECONDITION_VIOLATION
      POSTCONDITION_VIOLATION
      CHECK_VIOLATION
      VARIANT_VIOLATION
      OLD_VIOLATION
      LOOP_INVARIANT_VIOLATION
   DEVELOPER_EXCEPTION
   OBSOLETE EXCEPTION        
      RESUMPTION_FAILURE Was RESUMPTION_FAILED.
      RESCUE_FAILURE --------- SHOULD NOT APPLY ANY MORE WITH ISO/ECMA, CHECK!!!
      EXCEPTION_IN_SIGNAL_HANDLER_FAILURE

These classes plus EXCEPTION_MANAGER will be place at base\elks\kernel\exceptions\.

Terminology

 we use _EXCEPTION for intermediate nodes in the hierarchy; when we need a term in the leaves of the hierarchy we don't use EXCEPTION but
 
   * _VIOLATION for assertions
   * _FAILURE otherwise
 
 This is consistent with Eiffel exception terminology since from the viewpoint of Eiffel these things have failed, for example a signal was not handled properly. 
 The Eiffel runtime is causing an exception in the Eiffel code as a result, but the original event was a failure.  Hence SERIALIZATION_FAILURE etc.

Ignoring, continuing an exception

Quote from ECMA 8.26.12:

 It is possible, through routines of the Kernel Library class EXCEPTION, to ensure that exceptions of certain types be:
 
 * Ignored: lead to no change of non-exception semantics.
 * Continued: lead to execution of a programmer-specified routine, then to continuation of the execution according to non-exception semantics.

Related queries in EXCEPTION:

 is_ignored: BOOLEAN
 is_caught: BOOLEAN
 is_ignorable: BOOLEAN

Related routines in EXCEPTION_MANAGER:

 is_caught (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]): BOOLEAN
 is_ignored (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]): BOOLEAN
 catch (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]) 
 ignore (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]) 
 set_is_ignored (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]; a_ignored: BOOLEAN)

Class EXCEPTION

deferred class interface
	EXCEPTION
 
feature -- Access
 
	code: INTEGER_32
			-- Code of the exception.
			-- |Maybe we don't need this anymore
 
	data: ANY
			-- Data set by user
 
	exception_trace: STRING_8
			-- String representation of current exception trace
 
	meaning: STRING_8
			-- A message in English describing what `except' is
 
	message: STRING_8
			-- Tag of current exception
 
	original: EXCEPTION
			-- Original exception that triggered current exception
 
	recipient_name: STRING_8
			-- Name of the routine whose execution was
			-- interrupted by current exception
 
	type_name: STRING_8
			-- Name of the class that includes the recipient
			-- of original form of current exception
 
feature -- Status report
 
	is_caught: BOOLEAN
			-- If set, exception is raised.
		ensure
			not_is_caught_implies_is_ignorable: not Result implies is_ignorable
			not_is_ignored: not is_ignored
 
	is_ignorable: BOOLEAN
			-- Is current exception ignorable?
 
	is_ignored: BOOLEAN
			-- If set, no exception is raised.
		ensure
			is_ignored_implies_is_ignorable: Result implies is_ignorable
			not_is_caught: not is_caught
 
	is_raisable: BOOLEAN
			-- Is current exception raisable by raise?
 
feature -- Raise
 
	raise
			-- Raise current exception
		require
			is_raisable: is_raisable
 
feature -- Status settings
 
	set_data (a_data: like data)
			-- Set data with `a_data'.
		ensure
			data_is_set: data = a_data
 
end -- class EXCEPTION

Class EXCEPTION_MANAGER

class interface
	EXCEPTION_MANAGER
 
create 
	default_create
 
feature -- Status report
 
	is_caught (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]): BOOLEAN
			-- If set, type of `a_exception' is raised.
		ensure
			not_is_ignored: not is_ignored (a_exception)
 
	is_ignored (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]): BOOLEAN
			-- If set, type of `a_exception' is not raised.
		ensure
			not_is_caught: not is_caught (a_exception)
 
feature -- Status setting
 
	catch (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION])
			-- Set type of `a_exception' is_ignored.
		ensure
			is_ignored: not is_ignored (a_exception)
 
	ignore (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION])
			-- Make sure that any exception of code `code' will be
			-- ignored. This is not the default.
		ensure
			is_caught: is_ignored (a_exception)
 
	set_is_ignored (a_exception: TYPE [EXCEPTION]; a_ignored: BOOLEAN)
			-- Set type of `a_exception' to be `a_ignored'.
		ensure
			is_ignored_set: is_ignored (a_exception) = a_ignored

Default rescue

As specified in ECMA, `default_rescue' in ANY or its descendant is called as unqualified when an internal routine or an attributes with no rescue clause fails. We choose not to invoke it when it is not redefined, or this will be too expensive.

class ANY
...
    default_rescue is
       do
       end
...
end