Modular exceptions

Try-catch blocks offer a very localized mechanism for handling exceptions. In practice, many handlers are similar, so having a way to reuse handlers would be convenient. Furthermore, try-catch blocks unnecessarily clutter code when the handlers are trivial. This project would explore ways to define handlers at the level of a method or even en entire class, thus removing clutter and offering a simple way to reuse handlers.

The goal of the seminar project would be to develop a simple prototype of modular exceptions in Pharo Smalltalk using the meta-link facility. Time permitting, the project would also explore ways to resume execution in the case of null exceptions, by replacing at run time the null value by a Null object.

Contact: Oscar Nierstrasz