Try–catch block in C++ - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of a try–catch block in C++?

A try–catch block is used to handle exceptions (errors) that may occur during program execution, allowing the program to continue running or handle the error gracefully instead of crashing.

beginner

What keyword starts a block of code where exceptions might occur?

The try keyword starts a block of code where exceptions might be thrown.

beginner

What keyword is used to catch and handle exceptions thrown in the try block?

The catch keyword is used to define a block that handles exceptions thrown in the try block.

intermediate

How do you catch different types of exceptions in C++?

You can write multiple catch blocks after a try block, each specifying a different exception type to handle different errors separately.

intermediate

What happens if an exception is thrown but not caught in a try–catch block?

If an exception is thrown and not caught, the program will terminate and may display an error message or crash.

Which keyword begins the block where exceptions are tested in C++?

A throw

B try

C catch

D except

The try block is where you put code that might throw exceptions.

What does the catch block do?

A Handles an exception

B Throws an exception

C Starts the program

D Ends the program

The catch block handles exceptions thrown in the try block.

How can you handle multiple exception types?

A Use multiple catch blocks

B Use multiple try blocks

C Use one catch block with no parameters

D Use if-else statements

Multiple catch blocks allow handling different exception types separately.

What happens if no catch block matches the thrown exception?

A The program continues normally

B The exception is ignored

C The exception is automatically handled

D The program terminates

If no catch block matches, the program terminates due to an uncaught exception.

Which keyword is used to throw an exception in C++?

A try

B catch

C throw

D except

The throw keyword is used to signal an exception.

Explain how a try–catch block works in C++ and why it is useful.

Think about what happens when an error occurs and how the program can respond.

Describe how you can handle different types of exceptions using try–catch blocks.

Consider how you might want to respond differently to different errors.

Practice

1.

What is the main purpose of a try-catch block in C++?

easy

A. To handle errors and exceptions safely during program execution

B. To speed up the program by skipping code

C. To declare variables globally

D. To create loops that run multiple times

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of try block

   The try block contains code that might cause an error or exception.

2. Step 2: Understand the role of catch block

   The catch block handles the error so the program does not crash.

3. Final Answer:

   To handle errors and exceptions safely during program execution -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Try-catch handles errors = B [OK]

Hint: Try-catch blocks catch errors to keep programs running [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking try-catch speeds up code
• Confusing try-catch with loops
• Using try-catch to declare variables

2.

Which of the following is the correct syntax to start a try block in C++?

?

easy

A. catch {

B. try (

C. try:

D. try {

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall try block syntax

   The try block starts with the keyword try followed by curly braces { }.

2. Step 2: Identify correct option

   Only try { uses try { which is correct syntax to start the block.

3. Final Answer:

   try { -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Try block starts with try { = C [OK]

Hint: Try block always starts with 'try {' in C++ [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using parentheses instead of curly braces
• Starting with catch instead of try
• Using colon after try

3.

What will be the output of the following C++ code?

try {
    int x = 5 / 0;
    std::cout << "Result: " << x << std::endl;
} catch (const std::exception& e) {
    std::cout << "Caught exception" << std::endl;
}

medium

A. Result: 0

B. Caught exception

C. Program crashes with division by zero error

D. No output

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze division by zero in C++

   Integer division by zero causes undefined behavior and usually crashes the program; it does not throw a standard exception.

2. Step 2: Check catch block type

   The catch block catches std::exception types, but division by zero does not throw this exception automatically.

3. Final Answer:

   Program crashes with division by zero error -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Integer division by zero crashes = D [OK]

Hint: Division by zero crashes, not caught by std::exception [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming catch block catches all errors
• Expecting output 'Caught exception'
• Thinking division by zero returns zero

4.

Identify the error in this C++ code snippet:

try {
    throw 10;
} catch (int e) {
    std::cout << "Caught int: " << e << std::endl;
} catch (...) {
    std::cout << "Caught unknown" << std::endl;
}

medium

A. The catch block for int should come after catch(...)

B. No error; code is correct

C. Multiple catch blocks are not allowed

D. Throwing int is invalid

Solution

1. Step 1: Check throw and catch types

   The code throws an int and catches it with catch(int e), which matches correctly.

2. Step 2: Verify catch block order

   The specific catch catch(int e) comes before the catch-all catch(...), which is correct.

3. Final Answer:

   No error; code is correct -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Throw int caught by int catch first = A [OK]

Hint: Specific catch blocks must come before catch(...) [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Placing catch(...) before specific catch
• Thinking multiple catch blocks are invalid
• Believing throwing int is not allowed

5.

Consider this code snippet:

try {
    std::string s = "hello";
    int n = std::stoi(s);
    std::cout << n << std::endl;
} catch (const std::invalid_argument& e) {
    std::cout << "Invalid argument caught" << std::endl;
} catch (...) {
    std::cout << "Other exception caught" << std::endl;
}

What will be the output and why?

hard

A. Invalid argument caught

B. Other exception caught

C. hello

D. Program crashes

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand std::stoi behavior

   Trying to convert "hello" to int using std::stoi throws std::invalid_argument exception because "hello" is not a number.

2. Step 2: Check catch blocks

   The first catch block catches std::invalid_argument exceptions and prints "Invalid argument caught".

3. Final Answer:

   Invalid argument caught -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   std::stoi throws invalid_argument for non-numeric string = A [OK]

Hint: std::stoi throws invalid_argument on bad input [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting program to print 'hello'
• Assuming catch(...) runs instead of specific catch
• Thinking program crashes without catch