You can write custom exception handlers to perform more complex exception processing. Handlers are blocks of code placed at the bottom of a procedure that execute after an exception is raised. Separating handlers out from the rest of the procedure keeps them from becoming entangled with the business logic to reduce complexity. When an exception is raised within the procedure or in any procedures that it invokes, a handler for that exception is run.

With Gilda, exceptions are discriminated by their context instead of by name. Naming exceptions runs into maintenance issues at scale. The problems are similiar to those that arise with Goto statment labels, but are worse as they result in undesirable coupling between methods.

Additionally Gilda exceptions are processed outside procedure bodies. When using status codes or the prevelent try-throw-catch model, exceptions resume within the procedure body. Exception processing unavoidably becomes embedded within the business logic. This makes it harder to write programs that behave well under duress and requires a level of programmer discipline that is rare.

After an exception is raised its context can first be accessed by a low level system wide handler. The Foundation library includes a method that will return the initial context including a context string, a message, and a method name with the exception's line number, and an enumeration denoting the kind of exception that was raised.

From there handlers in methods up the call chain can be run that annotate the context by capturing local information and storing it in context variables within a Class. Classes can include special context variables that are intended only to be used within exception handlers.

Handlers begin with a Catch declaration designating the kind of exception to intercept. A procedure can contain mutiple handlers; each selecting a different kind of exception. After the catch declaration you can declare local variables and then code a block of statments to process the exception.

• Catch any exceptions not managed by more specialized handlers.

   catch



• Catch all fault exceptions.

   catch  fault



• Catch an exception raised by name with an assertion within the same procedure.

   assert  Condition  catch Name;    Message
     :
   catch  Name



• Catch exceptions raised when calling a specific procedure.

   catch  call  Procedure.Name



• Receive control if a variable with a user defined type has any active context variables. Upon exiting the handler the context will be reset.

   catch  context  Variable.Name



• Receive control if any variable with a type defined in a class has any active context variables.

   catch  class  Class.Name

Each handler ends with a Return command. A Return with no arguments simply returns from the primary procedure. The "return raise" keyword always propagates the exception up the call chain. An optional variable conditionally either returns from the procedure or propagates the exception. When set to a non-zero value the exception will be propagated. Otherwise the handler will return normally from the primary procedure.

• Return from the primary method past the point where it was called. This is used to resume processing after recovering.

   return



• Propagate the exception up the call stack to the next method with a handler.

   return  raise



• Propagate the exception when the variable is non-zero.

   return  Variable

The Hello World page discusses motivations for exception handling. The rationale for Gilda's exception model is detailed in the paper, Disentangling Exceptions. Here is another example of a handler that catches all exceptions in a method:

   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :
   method DO_SOMETHING:  Example of catching and extending and exception.

    entry Value   word,
          Text    string

    alter Assertion         :Access the assertion context in the library.
   :
   :.........................................................................


   IF Value < 0
      assert  Value < 100  pass Text;   ERROR:  Value too big.
   .

   PRINT  Text, Value

   return



   ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
   :
   catch:  Extend an exception context with a note.
   :
   :.........................................................................


   Assertion`Note = "An exception occured in "          &
                  ! Assertion`Method ! " on line "      &
                  ! form( Assertion`Line )

   return  raise;     Unwind to a higher level handler for reporting.