Re: throwing exceptions from constructor and other alternatives

From:
"James Hopkin" <tasjaevan@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
3 May 2006 16:10:37 -0400
Message-ID:
<1146651579.561226.217190@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>

I don't know, I have mixed fillings now. Many people is saying that
throwing from constructor is totally normal, however how do you think
the resulting syntax will look like?

try{
   object construtor
   use of object
}catch(...){
    object construtor with alternative values
    SAME use of object
}


If you go with the throwing constructor, I would suggest the following:

  #include <boost/optional.hpp>

  boost::optional<root_finder> opt_finder;
  try
  {
    opt_finder = root_finder(f, lb, ub);
  }
  catch (root_finder::bracket_too_narrow&)
  {
     opt_finder = root_finder(f, lb - 1.f, ub + 1.f); // will throw if
still not wide enough
  }

  // use opt_finder

Note particularly that the try block is as small as possible and the
catch block only catches the exception we're expecting.

(Side-note: even if root_finder is not copyable for some reason,
boost::optional provides a factory creation mechanism to cope with
that)

Particularly in C++, exceptions aren't pretty when they're used to deal
with expected conditions as above.

Another idea would be for root_finder to provide a static function that
evaluates whether a set of parameters is valid:

  if (!root_finder::parameters_valid(f, lb, ub))
  {
    lb -= 1.f;
    ub += 1.f;
  }

  root_finder rf(f, lb, ub); // will throw if bracket still not wide
enough
  // use rf

The constructor could call parameters_valid internally.

James

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