Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship

7Error Handling

by Michael Feathers

It might seem odd to have a section about error handling in a book about clean code. Error handling is just one of those things that we all have to do when we program. Input can be abnormal and devices can fail. In short, things can go wrong, and when they do, we as programmers are responsible for making sure that our code does what it needs to do.

The connection to clean code, however, should be clear. Many code bases are completely dominated by error handling. When I say dominated, I don’t mean that error handling is all that they do. I mean that it is nearly impossible to see what the code does because of ...