error codes in a large application

Question

2.50/5 (2 votes)

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I need to write some app which may contain several classes etc.
I am thinking to take care of error management using error codes.
I am just thinking what are the techniques usually taken to
avoid collisions between error code names?

Or shall I have all error codes have unique names and put all of them in one
header file for example?

Thanks.

Posted 16-May-13 2:23am

Dan page

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Comments

Philippe Mori 16-May-13 18:51pm

As mentionned in solution 2, it is better to uses exceptions. If you really need a code, then why not use an enumeration that it is specific to the exception class. Most of the time, you don't really need to know the exact reason why an error was raised and usually you would write a generic message to the user and possibly give the possibility to see détails)

Volynsky Alex 17-May-13 5:10am

please read following post:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/closure-compiler-discuss/fxnPHdfiaiI

2 solutions

Solution 1

The second choice sounds the best idea; which looks better out of the following?

C++

if (sometest)
    throw 27;
//
if (sometest)
    throw illegaldoofus;

Posted 16-May-13 3:14am

Richard MacCutchan

Comments

Dan page 16-May-13 9:34am

yes, I 'll probably have unique names for each error (which also makes sense) and then return appropriate ones from different functions etc... thanks

Richard MacCutchan 16-May-13 9:37am

I'm not sure whether it has been superceded, but I have used the Message Compiler system to auto-generate message codes and associated message text, in some projects in the past.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-May-13 10:07am

I think all OP's approaches are not acceptable, they are based on thinking before the time exceptions were invented. Please see my answer.
—SA

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-16T04:05:00

Solution 2

With structured exception handling, you don't need "error codes" but you need exception classes. Forget about this old trash and learn how exceptions work. This mechanism revolutionized development more than OOP and many other technologies, it allows you, roughly speaking, to stop worrying about "errors" and start programming.

—SA

Posted 16-May-13 4:05am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Comments

Leo Chapiro 16-May-13 10:26am

Exactly my point of view, +5 !

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 16-May-13 10:29am

Thank you,
—SA