How to properly unwrap error code from boost exception - c++

The question is simple, yet I cannot figure out how to do it. I want to get the system_error, and from there get the concrete error code. I have something like this in the error:
Dynamic exception type: boost::exception_detail::clone_impl<boost::exception_detail::current_exception_std_exception_wrapper<std::runtime_error> >
std::exception::what:
boost::system::system_error
I can catch a boost::exception but not std::runtime_error or a boost::system_error directly:
try {
this->service_.run();
}
catch (boost::system::system_error const & e) {
i_->playerLog->info("Exiting with system error. Error code: {} -- What: {}", e.code().value(),
e.what());
}
catch (boost::exception const & e) {
i_->playerLog->info("Exiting with boost exception: {}", boost::diagnostic_information(e));
}
My code will enter boost::exception clause, but never system_error or runtime_erro

This should be no problem:
Live On Coliru
#include <boost/asio.hpp>
#include <iostream>
int main() {
try {
using namespace boost::asio;
io_service svc;
ip::tcp::acceptor a(svc);
a.open(ip::tcp::v4());
a.bind({{}, 22}); // error, need admin privs
} catch(boost::system::system_error const& e) {
std::cout << e.what() << ": " << e.code() << " - " << e.code().message() << "\n";
}
}
Prints
bind: Permission denied: system:13 - Permission denied
If it doesn't, usually you have some kind of mix of dynamically loaded libraries with unmatching type information.
BONUS
For completeness, tested with more elaborate exception information: Live On Coliru

Related

Alternatives to using what() for exception details in boost

I am using the following C++ code from the boost library :
try{
child c(commandString, (std_out & std_err) > pipe_stream);
} catch(process_error &pe){
cout<<pe.what()<<" second line"<<endl;
}
The commandString is a command like ls or any other command. But if a command that does not exist is typed as per the documentation it throws the process_error exception.
I am catching the exception here but not sure if there is a better way to print out the details of the exception or error than pe.what() above?
If you look at the boost reference about boost::process::process_error, you can read this:
struct process_error : public system_error {
};
It merely inherits std::system_error but can then be distinguished in the catch-block from other system errors.
emphasis mine
If you look then at the std::system_error reference, like all other standard exceptions, what() is the way to provide detailed information about the raised error so I would say yes, this is the proper way to print out the exception details.
But since boost::process::process_error does not override the what() function, it would return the same as a std::system_error would.
An alternative interface is using std::error_code.
There are pros and cons:
PRO: it enables you to get more detail about where an error condition arose. (This is a hypothetical difference because it's not specified whether what() may include info beyond an error condition)
CON: it might not get as much detail as in the exception message
CON: since some errors are exceptional, it's harder to express the possible error conditions in the interface: the error conditions get in the way in a way that exceptions do not
in your code you might have created this problem by handling exceptions: now how do decide what value(s) to return
NEUTRAL: you may still have to handle exceptions because exceptions can arise from any related code (e.g. during setup, doing allocations).
NEUTRAL: the code() member of boost::process::process_error is likely to be 100% identical to the error_code that you get
Demo
Contrast the implementations and output below:
Live On Coliru
#include <boost/process.hpp>
#include <iostream>
namespace bp = boost::process;
int using_exceptions(std::string const& commandString) {
try {
bp::pstream pipe_stream;
bp::child c(commandString, (bp::std_out & bp::std_err) > pipe_stream);
c.wait();
return c.exit_code();
} catch (std::exception const& e) {
std::cerr << "Exception: " << e.what() << std::endl;
return -1; // WHAT TO RETURN
}
}
int using_error_code(std::string const& commandString) {
try {
bp::pstream pipe_stream;
std::error_code ec;
bp::child c(commandString, (bp::std_out & bp::std_err) > pipe_stream,
ec);
if (ec) {
std::cerr << "Cannot spawn child process: " << ec.message() << "\n";
return -1; // WHAT TO RETURN?
} else {
c.wait(ec);
std::cerr << "Error: " << ec.message() << "\n";
return c.exit_code();
}
} catch (std::exception const& e) {
std::cerr << "Exception: " << e.what() << std::endl;
return -1; // WHAT TO RETURN
}
}
int main()
{
auto cmd = "/usr/bin/bogus";
std::cout << "Using error_code: " << using_error_code(cmd) << "\n";
std::cout << "Using exceptions: " << using_exceptions(cmd) << "\n";
}
Prints
Using error_code: Cannot spawn child process: No such file or directory
-1
Using exceptions: Exception: execve failed: No such file or directory
-1

C++ Getting Location of std::out_of_range Exceptions

I'm working on a fairly lengthy program, and after running fine for awhile, suddenly I'm getting:
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::out_of_range'
what(): basic_string::substr
Being new to exception handling, I did some research and found that I would likely get more information by adding the following to my main function:
int main(int argc, char **argv){
try{
//stuff
}
catch(exception const &exc){
cerr << "Caught exception: " << exc.what() << endl;
}
}
The result of this is the following output:
Caught exception: basic_string::substr
This isn't any more useful than the default output; it doesn't tell me anything about the line triggering the core dump (there are many substr calls in my program), the data the substr is attempting to process, etc. Is there a method for displaying information such as this in C++, or is my only option to use a debugger such as gdb?
There are a few ways.
As you said, a debugger - but that won't help you once the code is in production.
Nested exceptions and function try blocks. e.g.:
#include <exception>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <iostream>
#include <sstream>
#include <iomanip>
void bar(std::string& s, int i)
try
{
s.at(i) = 'A';
}
catch(...)
{
std::ostringstream ss;
ss << "error in bar(" << std::quoted(s) << ", " << i << ")";
std::throw_with_nested(std::runtime_error(ss.str()));
}
void foo(std::string& s)
try
{
bar(s, 6);
}
catch(...)
{
std::ostringstream ss;
ss << "error in foo(" << std::quoted(s) << ")";
std::throw_with_nested(std::runtime_error(ss.str()));
}
void stuff()
try
{
std::string s;
foo(s);
}
catch(...)
{
std::throw_with_nested(std::runtime_error("error in stuff()"));
}
void print_exception(std::ostream& os, const std::exception& e, int level = 0)
{
os << std::string(level, ' ') << "exception: " << e.what() << '\n';
try {
std::rethrow_if_nested(e);
} catch(const std::exception& e) {
print_exception(os, e, level+1);
} catch(...) {}
}
int main()
{
try{
stuff();
}
catch(std::exception& e)
{
print_exception(std::cerr, e);
return 127;
}
return 0;
}
sample output:
exception: error in stuff()
exception: error in foo("")
exception: error in bar("", 6)
exception: basic_string::at: __n (which is 6) >= this->size() (which is 0)
You could use boost::stacktrace in place of the above nested exception handling.
http://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/f21bd35632a0a036

Why does std::exception catch my exception before std::bad_alloc?

Problem : I am using both std::exception and std::bad_alloc to catch exception. Something is wrong with the order of the try catch that I am using. I attached sample code for reference.
Expected : If my error is bad_alloc then the bad_alloc exception is thrown.
Observed : My error is bad_alloc, but exception is thrown.
Sample Code :
#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <exception>
using namespace std;
void goesWrong()
{
bool error1Detected = true;
bool error2Detected = false;
if (error1Detected)
{
throw bad_alloc();
}
if (error2Detected)
{
throw exception();
}
}
int main()
{
try
{
goesWrong();
}
catch (exception &e)
{
cout << "Catching exception: " << e.what() << endl;
}
catch (bad_alloc &e)
{
cout << "Catching bad_alloc: " << e.what() << endl;
}
return 0;
}
You have to put your exceptions in reverse order, regarding their inheritance relationship. std::exception is the parent class of std::bad_alloc, that is why it is found before in the catch list. So you have to transform your code to be:
try {
goesWrong();
}
catch (bad_alloc &e)
{
cout << "Catching bad_alloc: " << e.what() << endl;
}
catch (exception &e)
{
cout << "Catching exception: " << e.what() << endl;
}
You're not limited to catch objects: you can throw integers, chars... whatever. In that case, catch(...) is the only secure way to catch them all.
That said, using objects from the standard class library is the advised way to do it. And in this case, since std::exception is the base class for all (standard) exceptions, it will catch all possible exceptions thrown.
You can create your own exception classes deriving them from std::exception, or from std::runtime_error, for example, my personal choice.
Hope this helps.
In C++, the order in which exception handlers are listed is taken into account when matching handlers to exceptions. The first handler which can handle the exception will be called, even if there is a better match further down the list. This is different from Java or C#, where only the best match will be called (and the compiler forces you to put it at the top of the list).
As the exception is passed by reference, polymorphism applies; this means that a subclass can be passed to a handler that expects its parent class. Since std::bad_alloc is a subclass of std::exception, it will be handled by the first catch block.
To get the behaviour you expected, put the catch blocks the other way round:
catch (bad_alloc &e)
{
cout << "Catching bad_alloc: " << e.what() << endl;
}
catch (exception &e)
{
cout << "Catching exception: " << e.what() << endl;
}
This way round, std::bad_alloc will match the first handler, while std::exception and all its other subclasses will match the second.

How do I handle RapidXml errors?

RapidXml throws an exception in case of an invalid XML file. Is it possible to recover from such a failure?
For example, is it possible to check if the XML is valid beforehand, or recover and continue on?
It seems that when such failures happen, there is only assert and exit of process, and no chance for recovery.
By default, RapidXML raises exceptions on parse errors; it doesn't assert (perhaps by assert you just meant the process aborts).
It is possible to configure RapidXML with your own error handler called rapidxml::parse_error_handler if you #define RAPIDXML_NO_EXCEPTIONS before including the RapidXML headers, and if such an error handler returns, RapidXML will call assert(0), but I suspect that you don't have that enabled and you just need to be catching the right exception.
There's just one exception to catch for parse errors, and it's called rapidxml::parse_error, but RapidXML will also throw std::runtime_error if it fails to find the file.
Here's an example which catches both exception types, plus some catch-all handlers:
#include <iostream>
#include "rapidxml.hpp"
#include "rapidxml_utils.hpp"
int main()
{
try
{
rapidxml::file<> xmlFile("test.xml");
rapidxml::xml_document<> doc;
doc.parse<0>(xmlFile.data());
}
catch (const std::runtime_error& e)
{
std::cerr << "Runtime error was: " << e.what() << std::endl;
}
catch (const rapidxml::parse_error& e)
{
std::cerr << "Parse error was: " << e.what() << std::endl;
}
catch (const std::exception& e)
{
std::cerr << "Error was: " << e.what() << std::endl;
}
catch (...)
{
std::cerr << "An unknown error occurred." << std::endl;
}
}

Catching all unhandled C++ exceptions?

Is there some way to catch exceptions which are otherwise unhandled (including those thrown outside the catch block)?
I'm not really concerned about all the normal cleanup stuff done with exceptions, just that I can catch it, write it to log/notify the user and exit the program, since the exceptions in these casese are generaly fatal, unrecoverable errors.
something like:
global_catch()
{
MessageBox(NULL,L"Fatal Error", L"A fatal error has occured. Sorry for any inconvience", MB_ICONERROR);
exit(-1);
}
global_catch(Exception *except)
{
MessageBox(NULL,L"Fatal Error", except->ToString(), MB_ICONERROR);
exit(-1);
}
This can be used to catch unexpected exceptions.
catch (...)
{
std::cout << "OMG! an unexpected exception has been caught" << std::endl;
}
Without a try catch block, I don't think you can catch exceptions, so structure your program so the exception thowing code is under the control of a try/catch.
Check out std::set_terminate()
Edit: Here's a full-fledged example with exception matching:
#include <iostream>
#include <exception>
#include <stdexcept>
struct FooException: std::runtime_error {
FooException(const std::string& what): std::runtime_error(what) {}
};
int main() {
std::set_terminate([]() {
try {
std::rethrow_exception(std::current_exception());
} catch (const FooException& e) {
std::cerr << "Unhandled FooException: " << e.what() << std::endl;
} catch (const std::exception& e) {
std::cerr << "Unhandled exception: " << e.what() << std::endl;
} catch (...) {
std::cerr << "Unhandled exception of unknown type" << std::endl;
}
std::abort();
});
throw FooException("Bad things have happened.");
// throw std::runtime_error("Bad things have happened.");
// throw 9001;
}
You can use SetUnhandledExceptionFilter on Windows, which will catch all unhandled SEH exceptions.
Generally this will be sufficient for all your problems as IIRC all the C++ exceptions are implemented as SEH.
Without any catch block, you won't catch any exceptions. You can have a catch(...) block in your main() (and its equivalent in each additional thread). In this catch block you can recover the exception details and you can do something about them, like logging and exit.
However, there are also downside about a general catch(...) block: the system finds that the exception has been handled by you, so it does not give any more help. On Unix/Linux, this help would constitute creating a CORE file, which you could load into the debugger and see the original location of the unexcepted exception. If you are handling it with catch(...) this information would be already lost.
On Windows, there are no CORE files, so I would suggest to have the catch(...) block. From that block, you would typically call a function to resurrect the actual exception:
std::string ResurrectException()
try {
throw;
} catch (const std::exception& e) {
return e.what();
} catch (your_custom_exception_type& e) {
return e.ToString();
} catch(...) {
return "Ünknown exception!";
}
}
int main() {
try {
// your code here
} catch(...) {
std::string message = ResurrectException();
std::cerr << "Fatal exception: " << message << "\n";
}
}
Update: This covers c++98 only.
From More Effective C++ by Meyers (pg 76), you could define a function that gets called when a function generates an exception that is not defined by its exception specification.
void convertUnexpected()
{
// You could redefine the exception here into a known exception
// throw UnexpectedException();
// ... or I suppose you could log an error and exit.
}
In your application register the function:
std::set_unexpected( convertUnexpected );
Your function convertUnexpected() will get called if a function generates an exception that is not defined by its exception specification... which means this only works if you are using exception specifications. ;(
Provided that C++11 is available, this approach may be used (see example from: http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/error/rethrow_exception):
#include <iostream>
#include <exception>
void onterminate() {
try {
auto unknown = std::current_exception();
if (unknown) {
std::rethrow_exception(unknown);
} else {
std::cerr << "normal termination" << std::endl;
}
} catch (const std::exception& e) { // for proper `std::` exceptions
std::cerr << "unexpected exception: " << e.what() << std::endl;
} catch (...) { // last resort for things like `throw 1;`
std::cerr << "unknown exception" << std::endl;
}
}
int main () {
std::set_terminate(onterminate); // set custom terminate handler
// code which may throw...
return 0;
}
This approach also allows you to customize console output for unhandled exceptions: to have something like this
unexpected exception: wrong input parameters
Aborted
instead of this:
terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::logic_error'
what(): wrong input parameters
Aborted
This is what I always do in main()
int main()
{
try
{
// Do Work
}
catch(std::exception const& e)
{
Log(e.what());
// If you are feeling mad (not in main) you could rethrow!
}
catch(...)
{
Log("UNKNOWN EXCEPTION");
// If you are feeling mad (not in main) you could rethrow!
}
}
Use catch (...) in all of your exception barriers (not just the main thread). I suggest that you always rethrow (...) and redirect standard output/error to the log file, as you can't do meaningful RTTI on (...). OTOH, compiler like GCC will output a fairly detailed description about the unhandled exception: the type, the value of what() etc.