From: Aristarkh A Zagorodnikov <xm@...3d.ru>
Date: 2001-08-15T21:22:00+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:19773] Re: "new" returning nil: how to report the failure of object creation


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Menard [mailto:jimm@io.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 4:11 PM
> To: ruby-talk ML; undisclosed-recipients:
> Subject: [ruby-talk:19770] Re: "new" returning nil: how to report
> the failure of object creation
>
>
> furufuru@ccsr.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Ryo Furue) writes:
>
> > Hi there,
> >
> > How do you report the failure of object creation, that is, if you find
> > it impossible to properly initialize the object in the "initialize"
> > method?  Raising an exception is clearly an option.  But, what if the
> > "failure" is a normal part of the flow of the program?
>
> At least one framework I've used (BeOS) set a status variable. It was the
> programmers responsibility to check it after calling new. For example,
/skipped/

Another way is to rely on exceptions as a naturally superior (in most but
not all cases) solution to error handling.
I never rely on status codes unless underlying API forces me to do so (if I
have time I write exception-based API layer).
This might sound like a bit of overkill, especially when dealing with a lot
of exception types, calls and such, however in ruby exception handling is so
easy and straitforward, that adding a few more exception handlers is a just
a matter of a few minutes, but it greatly increases readability, clarity and
overall quality of code, also effectively protecting you from stupid
unhandled error situations.

Aristarkh A Zagorodnikov, Lead Programmer, W3D Group
http://www.w3d.ru /// xm@w3d.ru /// ICQ UIN 36987938