Class-Based Exceptions

Strings were a simple way to define exceptions. As described earlier, however, classes have some added advantages that merit a quick look. Most prominently, they allow us to identify exception categories that are more flexible to use and maintain than simple strings. Moreover, classes naturally allow for attached exception details and support inheritance. Because they are the better approach, they are now required.

Coding details aside, the chief difference between string and class exceptions has to do with the way that exceptions raised are matched against except clauses in try statements:

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  • String exceptions were matched by simple object identity: the raised exception was matched to except clauses by Python’s is test.
  • Class exceptions are matched by superclass relationships: the raised exception matches an except clause if that except clause names the exception’s class or any superclass of it.

That is, when a try statement’s except clause lists a superclass, it catches instances of that superclass, as well as instances of all its subclasses lower in the class tree. The net effect is that class exceptions support the construction of exception hierarchies: superclasses become category names, and subclasses become specific kinds of exceptions within a category. By naming a general exception superclass, an except clause can catch an entire category of exceptions—any more specific subclass will match.

String exceptions had no such concept: because they were matched by simple object identity, there was no direct way to organize exceptions into more flexible categories or groups. The net result was that exception handlers were coupled with exception sets in a way that made changes difficult.

In addition to this category idea, class-based exceptions better support exception state information (attached to instances) and allow exceptions to participate in inheritance hierarchies (to obtain common behaviors). Because they offer all the benefits of classes and OOP in general, they provide a more powerful alternative to the now defunct string-based exceptions model in exchange for a small amount of additional code.