Should You Ignore Exceptions in Python: When is `except:` Acceptable and When Should You Be More Specific?

Handling Exceptions Effectively: When to Ignore vs. Trap

In Python, the try-except block provides a means to handle potential errors in code execution. However, sometimes it may not be necessary or desirable to handle an exception. In such cases, how can you effectively ignore it?

The question arises: "When simply aiming to ignore an exception, is the following approach correct?"

try:
    shutil.rmtree(path)
except:
    pass

The Answer: Exception Types and Handling Considerations

While the provided code is technically valid, it's important to consider the type of exceptions it will catch. The "except:" statement will handle all exceptions, including "KeyboardInterrupt" and "SystemExit," which are derived directly from "BaseException" rather than "Exception."

For more precise control, consider these alternative options:

try:
    doSomething()
except Exception:
    pass

This approach will ignore all exceptions derived from "Exception," such as "IOError" and "ValueError."

try:
    doSomething()
except:
    pass

This approach will ignore all exceptions, including those derived from "BaseException." However, it is considered bad practice to catch every error indefinitely. Instead, specific exception types should be handled based on their context and impact on program execution.

Additional Resources

For further insights, refer to the official Python documentation:

• [try statement](https://docs.python.org/3/reference/compound_stmts.html#the-try-statement)
• [exceptions](https://docs.python.org/3/library/exceptions.html)

The above is the detailed content of Should You Ignore Exceptions in Python: When is `except:` Acceptable and When Should You Be More Specific?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!