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Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:57:00 +0100
Message-ID: <CAHXoPRvCFdnZJygsm2b-NTFoXpW4fQyisjAPY+f0V6+b5HQDBQ@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] [RFC] Optional Catch Block Body
To: Mihail Liahimov <91liahim@gmail.com>
Cc: Rob Landers <rob@bottled.codes>, php internals <internals@lists.php.net>
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From: oladoyinbov@gmail.com (Oladoyinbo Vincent)

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Interesting catch, but i have been thinking of a better approach of
catching errors without the try and catch block madness.

Here is my suggestion:

```php
try (Exception $e) {
  // define logic
}

if ($e) {
  // execute code...
}
```

looks way more clean and structured, what do y'all think?

Just a suggestion though.

On Thu, 31 Jul 2025, 8:41=E2=80=AFam Mihail Liahimov, <91liahim@gmail.com> =
wrote:

> Hi, Rob!
>
> Good point! I also know one another case when empty catch block are usefu=
l.
>
> When we want to avoid returning null values, we resort to using exception=
s
> so that the client code can somehow handle the absence of values.
> For example:
>
> if ($user->getName() !=3D=3D null) {
> $this->doSomethingWithUserName($user->getName());
> }
>
> We usually add an exception inside such getters if there is no value:
>
> try {
> $this->doSomethingWithUserName($user->getName());
> } catch (UserNameIsNull);
>
> This is useful when we need to "do nothing" when there is no value. In my
> opinion, this code looks more declarative.
>
> We can do something like this also with repositories:
>
> try {
> $post =3D $this->postRepository->get($postId);
>
> // do something with post
> } catch (PostNotFound);
>
> But again, there is a fine line between situations where an empty body of
> a catch block is reasonable and when it is not.
>
> =D1=87=D1=82, 31 =D0=B8=D1=8E=D0=BB. 2025=E2=80=AF=D0=B3. =D0=B2 12:13, R=
ob Landers <rob@bottled.codes>:
>
>>  even in my case, my empty catches have lengthy comments describing why
>> they are empty in case a user steps into it, so they can better understa=
nd
>> how the framework works.
>>
>> =E2=80=94 Rob
>>
>

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<div dir=3D"auto">Interesting catch, but i have been thinking of a better a=
pproach of catching errors without the try and catch block madness.<div dir=
=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Here is my suggestion:</div><div dir=
=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">```php</div><div dir=3D"auto">try (Ex=
ception $e) {</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 // define logic</div><div dir=
=3D"auto">}</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">if ($e) {</d=
iv><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 // execute code...</div><div dir=3D"auto">}</di=
v><div dir=3D"auto">```</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">=
looks way more clean and structured, what do y&#39;all think?</div><div dir=
=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Just a suggestion though.</div></div>=
<br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Thu=
, 31 Jul 2025, 8:41=E2=80=AFam Mihail Liahimov, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:91lia=
him@gmail.com">91liahim@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=
=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padd=
ing-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hi, Rob!<br><br>Good p=
oint! I also know one another case when empty catch block are useful.<br><b=
r>When we want to avoid returning null values, we resort to using exception=
s so that the client code can somehow handle the absence of values.<br>For =
example:<br><br>if ($user-&gt;getName() !=3D=3D null) {<br>$this-&gt;doSome=
thingWithUserName($user-&gt;getName());</div><div>}<br><br>We usually add a=
n exception inside such getters if there is no value:<br><br>try {</div><di=
v>$this-&gt;doSomethingWithUserName($user-&gt;getName());<br></div><div>} c=
atch (UserNameIsNull);<br><br>This is useful when we need to &quot;do nothi=
ng&quot; when there is no value. In my opinion, this code looks more declar=
ative.<br><br>We can do something like this also with repositories:<br><br>=
try {<br>$post =3D $this-&gt;postRepository-&gt;get($postId);</div><div><br=
></div><div>// do something with post</div><div>} catch (PostNotFound);<br>=
<br>But again, there is a fine line between situations where an empty body =
of a catch block is reasonable and when it is not.<br></div><br><div class=
=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">=D1=87=D1=82, 31 =D0=
=B8=D1=8E=D0=BB. 2025=E2=80=AF=D0=B3. =D0=B2 12:13, Rob Landers &lt;rob@bot=
tled.codes&gt;:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:=
0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">=
<u></u><div><div>=C2=A0even in my case, my empty catches have lengthy comme=
nts describing why they are empty in case a user steps into it, so they can=
 better understand how the framework works.<br></div><div><br></div><div id=
=3D"m_-8523652786032615983m_8361791828552604938sig121229152">=E2=80=94 Rob<=
/div></div></blockquote></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div>

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