rethrowing python exception. Which to catch?

Question

I'm learning to use python. I just came across this article: http://nedbatchelder.com/blog/200711/rethrowing_exceptions_in_python.html It describes rethrowing exceptions in python, like this:

try:
    do_something_dangerous()
except:
    do_something_to_apologize()
    raise

Since you re-throw the exception, there should be an "outer catch-except" statement. But now, I was thinking, what if the do_something_to_apologize() inside the except throws an error. Which one will be caught in the outer "catch-except"? The one you rethrow or the one thrown by do_something_to_apologize() ? Or will the exception with the highest priotiry be caught first?

Answer 1

Try it and see:

def failure():
    raise ValueError, "Real error"

def apologize():
    raise TypeError, "Apology error"

try:
    failure()
except ValueError:
    apologize()
    raise

The result:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<pyshell#14>", line 10, in <module>
    apologize()
  File "<pyshell#14>", line 5, in apologize
    raise TypeError, "Apology error"
TypeError: Apology error

The reason: the "real" error from the original function was already caught by the except. apologize raises a new error before the raise is reached. Therefore, the raise in the except clause is never executed, and only the apology's error propagates upward. If apologize raises an error, Python has no way of knowing that you were going to raise a different exception after apologize.

Note that in Python 3, the traceback will mention both exceptions, with a message explaining how the second one arose:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./prog.py", line 9, in <module>
  File "./prog.py", line 2, in failure
ValueError: Real error

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./prog.py", line 11, in <module>
  File "./prog.py", line 5, in apologize
TypeError: Apology error

However, the second exception (the "apology" exception) is still the only one that propagates outward and can be caught by a higher-level except clause. The original exception is mentioned in the traceback but is subsumed in the later one and can no longer be caught.

Answer 2

The exception thrown by do_something_to_apologize() will be caught. The line containing raise will never run, because of the exception thrown by do_something_to_apologize. Also, I don't believe there is any idea of "priority" in python exceptions.

Answer 3

I believe a better idea is to use

raise NewException("Explain why") from CatchedException

pattern. In particular, considering Python 3 and the example given by @BrenBarn I use following

def failure():
    raise ValueError("Real error")

try:
    failure()
except ValueError as ex:
    raise TypeError("Apology error") from ex

which yields

--------- ValueError----                                
Traceback (most recent call last) 
      4 try:
----> 5     failure()
      6 except ValueError as ex:

      1 def failure():
----> 2     raise ValueError("Real error")
      3 

ValueError: Real error

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

-----TypeError-----
Traceback (most recent call last) 
      5     failure()
      6 except ValueError as ex:
----> 7     raise TypeError("Apology error") from ex

TypeError: Apology error