On 06/08/2004, at 7:43 PM, Keith Wansbrough wrote:
Not so. In Java, the programmer is forced to handle most exceptions by the type system. That is, if the exception is not handled, the program will not compile, thus providing a static guarantee that exceptions are handled.
One feature I've always wanted is to be able to tell the compiler or run-time system (whichever is responsible for enforcing the type checks) to turn on exception checking or not. That way, if you are programming in a fast and loose style (e.g. writing a throwaway script), exceptions don't get in your way, and you can program unencumbered by lots of useless error checking code. If you then decide that the throwaway script isn't so throwaway after all, insert a pragma in your program, and get back full static checking. If you know Perl, it's the equivalent of 'use strict;' for exceptions. I hope to see such a design in a Haskell compiler one day ... -- % Andre Pang : trust.in.love.to.save