I was challenged how to break or end execution of a parent function without modifying the code of the parent, using PHP
I cannot figure out any solution, other than die(); in the child, which would end all execution, and so anything after the parent function call would end. Any ideas?
code example:
function victim() {
echo "I should be run";
killer();
echo "I should not";
}
function killer() {
//code to break parent here
}
victim();
echo "This should still run";
function victim() {
echo "I should be run";
killer();
echo "I should not";
}
function killer() {
throw new Exception('Die!');
}
try {
victim();
} catch (Exception $e) {
// note that catch blocks shouldn't be empty :)
}
echo "This should still run";
Note that Exceptions are not going to work in the following scenario:
function victim() {
echo "this runs";
try {
killer();
}
catch(Exception $sudden_death) {
echo "still alive";
}
echo "and this runs just fine, too";
}
function killer() { throw new Exception("This is not going to work!"); }
victim();
You would need something else, the only thing more robust would be something like installing your own error handler, ensure all errors are reported to the error handler and ensure errors are not converted to exceptions; then trigger an error and have your error handler kill the script when done. This way you can execute code outside of the context of killer()/victim() and prevent victim() from completing normally (only if you do kill the script as part of your error handler).
Related
I am using ajax to call a php script (wordpress). I get status code 200 OK but I dont get any data back.. My script dies, when trying to create an instant of an object. But I cant get any info why..
// create Order object
echo "this gets returned";
try {
if(new Order($auth_login, $auth_password, $caleo_live_mode)) {
echo "works";
} else {
echo "if error";
}
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo "try fail";
}
echo "This does not";
Nothing inside the try block is getting returned.
What can I do to try to see what is going on?
Moved solution from question to answer:
ANSWER:
I figured it out....
I read through the source code of Order and found a try/catch statement which looked like:
catch (Exception $e) {
exit();
}
Consider these two examples
<?php
function throw_exception() {
// Arbitrary code here
throw new Exception('Hello, Joe!');
}
function some_code() {
// Arbitrary code here
}
try {
throw_exception();
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
some_code();
// More arbitrary code
?>
and
<?php
function throw_exception() {
// Arbitrary code here
throw new Exception('Hello, Joe!');
}
function some_code() {
// Arbitrary code here
}
try {
throw_exception();
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
} finally {
some_code();
}
// More arbitrary code
?>
What's the difference? Is there a situation where the first example wouldn't execute some_code(), but the second would? Am I missing the point entirely?
If you catch Exception (any exception) the two code samples are equivalent. But if you only handle some specific exception type in your class block and another kind of exception occurs, then some_code(); will only be executed if you have a finally block.
try {
throw_exception();
} catch (ExceptionTypeA $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
}
some_code(); // Will not execute if throw_exception throws an ExceptionTypeB
but:
try {
throw_exception();
} catch (ExceptionTypeA $e) {
echo $e->getMessage();
} finally {
some_code(); // Will be execute even if throw_exception throws an ExceptionTypeB
}
fianlly block is used when you want a piece of code to execute regardless of whether an exception occurred or not...
Check out Example 2 on this page :
PHP manual
Finally will trigger even if no exception were caught.
Try this code to see why:
<?php
class Exep1 extends Exception {}
class Exep2 extends Exception {}
try {
echo 'try ';
throw new Exep1();
} catch ( Exep2 $e)
{
echo ' catch ';
} finally {
echo ' finally ';
}
echo 'aftermath';
?>
the output will be
try finally
Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'Exep1' in /tmp/execpad-70360fffa35e/source-70360fffa35e:7
Stack trace:
#0 {main}
thrown in /tmp/execpad-70360fffa35e/source-70360fffa35e on line 7
here is fiddle for you. https://eval.in/933947
From the PHP manual:
In PHP 5.5 and later, a finally block may also be specified after or instead of catch blocks. Code within the finally block will always be executed after the try and catch blocks, regardless of whether an exception has been thrown, and before normal execution resumes.
See this example in the manual, to see how it works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWj60p8esD0
Watch from: 12:30 onwards
Watch this video.
The language is JAVA though.
But i think it illustrates Exceptions and the use of finally keyword very well.
This question is about the best way to execute code outside of try block only if no exception is thrown.
try {
//experiment
//can't put code after experiment because I don't want a possible exception from this code to be caught by the following catch. It needs to bubble.
} catch(Exception $explosion) {
//contain the blast
} finally {
//cleanup
//this is not the answer since it executes even if an exception occured
//finally will be available in php 5.5
} else {
//code to be executed only if no exception was thrown
//but no try ... else block exists in php
}
This is method suggested by #webbiedave in response to the question php try .. else. I find it unsatisfactory because of the use of the extra $caught variable.
$caught = false;
try {
// something
} catch (Exception $e) {
$caught = true;
}
if (!$caught) {
}
So what is a better (or the best) way to accomplish this without the need for an extra variable?
One possibility is to put the try block in a method, and return false if an exception is cought.
function myFunction() {
try {
// Code that throws an exception
} catch(Exception $e) {
return false;
}
return true;
}
Have your catch block exit the function or (re)throw/throw an exception. You can filter your exceptions as well. So if your other code also throws an exception you can catch that and (re)throw it. Remember that:
Execution continues if no exception is caught.
If an exception happens and is caught and not (re)throw or a new one throw.
You don't exit your function from the catch block.
It's always a good idea to (re)throw any exception that you don't handle.
We should always be explicit in our exception handling. Meaning if you catch exceptions check the error that we can handle anything else should be (re)throw(n)
The way I would handle your situation would be to (re)throw the exception from the second statement.
try {
$this->throwExceptionA();
$this->throwExceptionB();
} catch (Exception $e) {
if($e->getMessage() == "ExceptionA Message") {
//Do handle code
} elseif($e->getMessage() == "ExceptionB Message") {
//Do other clean-up
throw $e;
} else {
//We should always do this or we will create bugs that elude us because
//we are catching exception that we are not handling
throw $e;
}
}
I'm using try-catch for years, but I never learned how and when to use finally, because I never understood the point of finally (I've read bad books)?
I want to ask you about use of finally in my case.
My code example should explain everything:
$s = "";
$c = MyClassForFileHandling::getInstance();
try
{
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch FileNotFoundExeption
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
}
finally
{
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
Is this correct use of finally?
More precise question:
Shall I use finally (in future PHP versions or other languages) for handling "create something if it not exists" operations?
Finally will always be executed, so in this case, it is not its intended purpose, since normal execution would reopen the file a second time. What you intend to do would be achieved in the same (cleaner) way if you do
$s = "";
$c = MyClassForFileHandling::getInstance();
try
{
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch(FileNotFoundExeption $e)
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
Then the manual says:
For the benefit of someone anyone who hasn't come across finally blocks before, the key difference between them and normal code following a try/catch block is that they will be executed even the try/catch block would return control to the calling function.
It might do this if:
code if your try block contains an exception type that you don't catch
you throw another exception in your catch block
your try or catch block calls return
Finally would then be useful in this kind of scenario:
function my_get_file_content($path)
{
try
{
return $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch(FileNotFoundExeption $e)
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
return $c->get_file_content($path);
}
finally
{
$c->close_file_handler();
}
}
=> if you need to make sure you close your file handler in this case, or some resource in general.
finally wasn't introduced into PHP until version 5.5 which has not been released yet so that why you haven't seen any examples with it yet. So unless you're running and alpha version of PHP 5.5 you can't use finally yet.
From the manual (exceptions)
In PHP 5.5 and later, a finally block may also be specified after the catch blocks. Code within the finally block will always be executed after the try and catch blocks, regardless of whether an exception has been thrown, and before normal execution resumes.
Example from the manual of using finally
<?php
function inverse($x) {
if (!$x) {
throw new Exception('Division by zero.');
}
else return 1/$x;
}
try {
echo inverse(5) . "\n";
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo 'Caught exception: ', $e->getMessage(), "\n";
} finally {
echo "First finally.\n";
}
try {
echo inverse(0) . "\n";
} catch (Exception $e) {
echo 'Caught exception: ', $e->getMessage(), "\n";
} finally {
echo "Second finally.\n";
}
// Continue execution
echo 'Hello World';
?>
Finally means what do you want to DO Finally.
try
{
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch FileNotFoundExeption
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
}
finally
{
//Create a pdf with my file
//or, Rename my file
//or, store my file into Database
}
No matter what happens(regardless of whether an exception has been thrown) inside try or catch, 'Finally code' will execute.
So, no point of using same code over 'try' and 'finally'.
Does this simply answer your question?
I just want to appoint that if an Exception occurs in the try block, the exception will be correctly raised even if the finally block is present.
The usefulness of the finally block is for clean and free resources.
I think it's best use is when, for example, you upload a file but then an error happens:
$tmp_name = null;
try {
$tmp_name = tempnam(UPLOAD_DIR, 'prefix');
move_uploaded_file($file['tmp_name'], $tmp_name);
ImageManager::resize($tmp_name, $real_path, $width, $height); // this will rise some exception
}
finally {
if($tmp_name)
unlink($tmp_name); // this will ensure the temp file is ALWAYS deleted
}
As you can see, in this way no matter what happen, the temp file will be correctly deleted.
If we would emulate the finally clause in older version of PHP, we should write something like this:
// start finally
catch(Exception $ex) {
}
if($tmp_name)
unlink($tmp_name);
if( isset($ex) )
throw $ex;
// end finally
Note that the exception has been re-thrown in case the catch block caught something. It isn't clear as the finally version, but works the same.
PHP prior to version 5.5 has no finally block - i.e., whereas in most sensible languages, you can do:
try {
//do something
} catch(Exception ex) {
//handle an error
} finally {
//clean up after yourself
}
PHP has no notion of a finally block.
Anyone have experience of solutions to this rather irritating hole in the language?
Solution, no. Irritating cumbersome workaround, yes:
$stored_exc = null;
try {
// Do stuff
} catch (Exception $exc) {
$stored_exc = $exc;
// Handle an error
}
// "Finally" here, clean up after yourself
if ($stored_exc) {
throw($stored_exc);
}
Yucky, but should work.
Please note: PHP 5.5 finally (ahem, sorry) added a finally block: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/finally (and it only took a few years... available in the 5.5 RC almost four years to the date since I posted this answer...)
The RAII idiom offers a code-level stand-in for a finally block. Create a class that holds callable(s). In the destuctor, call the callable(s).
class Finally {
# could instead hold a single block
public $blocks = array();
function __construct($block) {
if (is_callable($block)) {
$this->blocks = func_get_args();
} elseif (is_array($block)) {
$this->blocks = $block;
} else {
# TODO: handle type error
}
}
function __destruct() {
foreach ($this->blocks as $block) {
if (is_callable($block)) {
call_user_func($block);
} else {
# TODO: handle type error.
}
}
}
}
Coordination
Note that PHP doesn't have block scope for variables, so Finally won't kick in until the function exits or (in global scope) the shutdown sequence. For example, the following:
try {
echo "Creating global Finally.\n";
$finally = new Finally(function () {
echo "Global Finally finally run.\n";
});
throw new Exception;
} catch (Exception $exc) {}
class Foo {
function useTry() {
try {
$finally = new Finally(function () {
echo "Finally for method run.\n";
});
throw new Exception;
} catch (Exception $exc) {}
echo __METHOD__, " done.\n";
}
}
$foo = new Foo;
$foo->useTry();
echo "A whole bunch more work done by the script.\n";
will result in the output:
Creating global Finally.
Foo::useTry done.
Finally for method run.
A whole bunch more work done by the script.
Global Finally finally run.
$this
PHP 5.3 closures can't access $this (fixed in 5.4), so you'll need an extra variable to access instance members within some finally-blocks.
class Foo {
function useThis() {
$self = $this;
$finally = new Finally(
# if $self is used by reference, it can be set after creating the closure
function () use ($self) {
$self->frob();
},
# $this not used in a closure, so no need for $self
array($this, 'wibble')
);
/*...*/
}
function frob() {/*...*/}
function wibble() {/*...*/}
}
Private and Protected Fields
Arguably the biggest problem with this approach in PHP 5.3 is the finally-closure can't access private and protected fields of an object. Like accessing $this, this issue is resolved in PHP 5.4. For now, private and protected properties can be accessed using references, as Artefacto shows in his answer to a question on this very topic elsewhere on this site.
class Foo {
private $_property='valid';
public function method() {
$this->_property = 'invalid';
$_property =& $this->_property;
$finally = new Finally(function () use (&$_property) {
$_property = 'valid';
});
/* ... */
}
public function reportState() {
return $this->_property;
}
}
$f = new Foo;
$f->method();
echo $f->reportState(), "\n";
Private and protected methods can be accessed using reflection. You can actually use the same technique to access non-public properties, but references are simpler and more lightweight. In a comment on the PHP manual page for anonymous functions, Martin Partel gives an example of a FullAccessWrapper class that opens up non-public fields to public access. I won't reproduce it here (see the two previous links for that), but here is how you'd use it:
class Foo {
private $_property='valid';
public function method() {
$this->_property = 'invalid';
$self = new FullAccessWrapper($this);
$finally = new Finally(function () use (&$self) {
$self->_fixState();
});
/* ... */
}
public function reportState() {
return $this->_property;
}
protected function _fixState() {
$this->_property = 'valid';
}
}
$f = new Foo;
$f->method();
echo $f->reportState(), "\n";
try/finally
try blocks require at least one catch. If you only want try/finally, add a catch block that catches a non-Exception (PHP code can't throw anything not derived from Exception) or re-throw the caught exception. In the former case, I suggest catching StdClass as an idiom meaning "don't catch anything". In methods, catching the current class could also be used to mean "don't catch anything", but using StdClass is simpler and easier to find when searching files.
try {
$finally = new Finally(/*...*/);
/* ... */
} catch (StdClass $exc) {}
try {
$finally = new Finally(/*...*/);
/* ... */
} catch (RuntimeError $exc) {
throw $exc
}
Here is my solution to the lack of finally block. It not only provides a work around for the finally block, it also extends the try/catch to catch PHP errors (and fatal errors too). My solution looks like this (PHP 5.3):
_try(
//some piece of code that will be our try block
function() {
//this code is expected to throw exception or produce php error
},
//some (optional) piece of code that will be our catch block
function($exception) {
//the exception will be caught here
//php errors too will come here as ErrorException
},
//some (optional) piece of code that will be our finally block
function() {
//this code will execute after the catch block and even after fatal errors
}
);
You can download the solution with documentation and examples from git hub -
https://github.com/Perennials/travelsdk-core-php/tree/master/src/sys
As this is a language construct, you won't find an easy solution for this.
You can write a function and call it as the last line of your try block and last line before rethrowing the excepion in the try block.
Good books argues against using finally blocks for any other than freeing resource as you can not be sure it will execute if something nasty happens. Calling it an irritating hole is quite an overstatement.
Believe me, a hell lot of exceptionally good code is written in languages without finally block. :)
The point of finally is to execute no matter if the try block was successfull or not.
function _try(callable $try, callable $catch, callable $finally = null)
{
if (is_null($finally))
{
$finally = $catch;
$catch = null;
}
try
{
$return = $try();
}
catch (Exception $rethrow)
{
if (isset($catch))
{
try
{
$catch($rethrow);
$rethrow = null;
}
catch (Exception $rethrow) { }
}
}
$finally();
if (isset($rethrow))
{
throw $rethrow;
}
return $return;
}
Call using closures. Second parameter, $catch, is optional. Examples:
_try(function ()
{
// try
}, function ($ex)
{
// catch ($ex)
}, function ()
{
// finally
});
_try(function ()
{
// try
}, function ()
{
// finally
});
Properly handles exceptions everywhere:
$try: Exception will be passed to $catch. $catch will run first, then $finally. If there is no $catch, exception will be rethrown after running $finally.
$catch: $finally will execute immediately. Exception will be rethrown after $finally completes.
$finally: Exception will break down the call stack unimpeded. Any other exceptions scheduled for rethrow will be discarded.
None: Return value from $try will be returned.
If anyone is still keeping track of this question, you might be interested in checking out the (brand new) RFC for a finally language feature in the PHP wiki. The author already seems to have working patches, and I'm sure the proposal would benefit from other developers' feedback.
I just finished writing a more elegant Try Catch Finally class which may be of use to you. There are some drawbacks but they can be worked around.
https://gist.github.com/Zeronights/5518445