Proper way to handle errors in a module

Path	csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!newsfeed.hal-mli.net!feeder1.hal-mli.net!feeder.news-service.com!tudelft.nl!txtfeed1.tudelft.nl!multikabel.net!newsfeed10.multikabel.net!xlned.com!feeder5.xlned.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path	<bahamutzero8825@gmail.com>
X-Original-To	python-list@python.org
Delivered-To	python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status	OK 0.057
X-Spam-Evidence	'H': 0.89; 'S': 0.00; 'subject:module': 0.04; 'one?': 0.05; 'exceptions': 0.09; 'scripts': 0.10; 'answer,': 0.16; 'shell': 0.19; 'wondering': 0.19; 'programming': 0.20; '(and': 0.22; 'expect': 0.26; "i'm": 0.26; 'developers': 0.28; 'raise': 0.29; 'error': 0.29; 'message-id:@gmail.com': 0.30; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.32; 'bit': 0.33; 'module': 0.33; 'received:192.168.1': 0.34; 'received:192': 0.34; 'certain': 0.34; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.35; 'module.': 0.35; 'trigger': 0.35; 'considered': 0.36; 'received:192.168': 0.37; 'received:209.85': 0.37; 'received:google.com': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'errors': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:209': 0.39; 'would': 0.40; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'best': 0.60; 'show': 0.67; 'message?': 0.84; 'received:209.85.210.174': 0.84; 'received:mail- iy0-f174.google.com': 0.84; 'subject:handle': 0.84
DKIM-Signature	v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to :subject:x-enigmail-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=GptAOOGCH3X+J6in8n9l/PeGFGzQsvftxs43bWDDZx0=; b=P9daroRoXaMHPQg83IE6BgorQB0htT6BRcdFaHe8kJias10W2h7FUOUM1Z8psw99fX Bgi/2R2BXUAqy0Dw677Z/v2QO7QO6dx0ibw0HGViwW7EB+uamHm+Xl+XSfGskkiMF6/g tQ6yQyy4MWS4A2IHQ7JJiI/bwmNOjP5iG9F1M=
DomainKey-Signature	a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:to:subject :x-enigmail-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=EZrlM53VSwr45tAmG3ZGdxND1VZSzJMRbpLXDaCCkUykBSvK6202MI6c5bJwIHQCQn gzJnXlA+SdOzsWfUNMkRhfYo44sbrcrrkI3cdrE2uDFy9eE4MN+5tOgWaOhSbvqsvGQv UvfaxYJqkCHf6l+58jEQiJy2H9SrX7dpfOdqo=
Date	Wed, 11 May 2011 12:29:50 -0500
From	Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com>
User-Agent	Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.15) Gecko/20110303 Thunderbird/3.1.9 ThunderBrowse/3.3.5
MIME-Version	1.0
To	python-list@python.org
Subject	Proper way to handle errors in a module
X-Enigmail-Version	1.1.1
Content-Type	text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding	7bit
X-BeenThere	python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version	2.1.12
Precedence	list
List-Id	General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe	<http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive	<http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list>
List-Post	<mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help	<mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe	<http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Message-ID	<mailman.1415.1305134998.9059.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
Lines	8
NNTP-Posting-Host	82.94.164.166
X-Trace	1305134998 news.xs4all.nl 81475 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:58517
X-Complaints-To	abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref	x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:5134

Show key headers only | View raw

I'm a bit new to programming outside of shell scripts (and I'm no expert
there), so I was wondering what is considered the best way to handle
errors when writing a module. Do I just let exceptions go and raise
custom exceptions for errors that don't trigger a standard one? Have the
function/method return nothing or a default value and show an error
message? I'm sure there's not a clear-cut answer, but I was just
wondering what most developers would expect a module to do in certain
situations.

Back to comp.lang.python | Previous | Next — Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Proper way to handle errors in a module Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2011-05-11 12:29 -0500
  Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2011-05-11 14:05 -0400
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2011-05-12 14:14 -0500
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2011-05-12 20:25 +0100
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2011-05-12 15:12 -0500
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Corey Richardson <kb1pkl@aim.com> - 2011-05-12 16:20 -0400
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Tycho Andersen <tycho@tycho.ws> - 2011-05-12 15:26 -0500
      Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-05-13 00:43 +0000
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2011-05-12 21:26 +0100
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2011-05-12 13:40 -0700
    Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com> - 2011-05-12 15:35 -0500
      Re: Proper way to handle errors in a module Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2011-05-13 10:56 +1000

csiph-web