Try/Except in Python: How to avoid duplication?

Question

I have a class that converts low-level exceptions raised by an API into high-level ones. The class is filled with complex, duplicated error handling logic. I'm looking for the pythonic way of reducing this duplication.

Here's a contrived example.

class ApiWrapperException(Exception):
  pass

class ApiWrapper(object):

  def __init__(self, api):
    self._api = api

  def do_one_thing(self):
    print 'do_one_thing stuff before API call'
    try:
      self._api.do_one_thing()
    except ApiException:
      print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
      raise ApiWrapperException
    print 'do_one_thing stuff after API call'

  def do_another_thing(self):
    print 'do_another_thing stuff before API call'
    try:
      self._api.do_another_thing()
    except ApiException:
      print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
      raise ApiWrapperException
    print 'do_another_thing stuff after API call'

In this example, the ApiWrapper class converts the low-level ApiException into the nicer ApiWrapperException. But there's a lot of duplication.

Option 1: Use a function wrapper

I can put the duplicated code in an inner function, like this:

def handle_api_errors(api_callable):
  def call(*args, **kwargs):
    try:
      return api_callable(*args, **kwargs)
    except ApiException:
      print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
      raise ApiWrapperException
  return call

The ApiWrapper class simplifies to:

class ApiWrapper(object):

  def __init__(self, api):
    self._api = api

  def do_one_thing(self):
    print 'do_one_thing stuff before API call'
    handle_api_errors(self._api.do_one_thing)()
    print 'do_one_thing stuff after API call'

  def do_another_thing(self):
    print 'do_another_thing stuff before API call'
    handle_api_errors(self._api.do_another_thing)()
    print 'do_another_thing stuff after API call'

Option 2: Use a context manager

I can put the duplicated code in a context manager, like this:

@contextlib.contextmanager
def handle_api_errors():
  try:
    yield
  except ApiException:
    print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
    raise ApiWrapperException

The ApiWrapper class simplifies to:

class ApiWrapper(object):

  def __init__(self, api):
    self._api = api

  def do_one_thing(self):
    print 'do_one_thing stuff before API call'
    with handle_api_errors():
      self._api.do_one_thing()
    print 'do_one_thing stuff after API call'

  def do_another_thing(self):
    print 'do_another_thing stuff before API call'
    with handle_api_errors():
      self._api.do_another_thing()
    print 'do_another_thing stuff after API call'

Option 3: use a decorator (as suggested by @ZachGates)

I can put the duplicated code in a decorator, like this:

def handle_api_errors(api_calling_func):
  def decorated_func(*args, **kwargs):
    try:
      api_calling_func(*args, **kwargs)
    except ApiException:
      print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
      raise ApiWrapperException
  return decorated_func

The ApiWrapper class simplifies to:

class ApiWrapper(object):

  def __init__(self, api):
    self._api = api

  @handle_api_errors
  def do_one_thing(self):
    print 'do_one_thing stuff before API call'
    self._api.do_one_thing()
    print 'do_one_thing stuff after API call'

  @handle_api_errors
  def do_another_thing(self):
    print 'do_another_thing stuff before API call'
    self._api.do_another_thing()
    print 'do_another_thing stuff after API call'

Which option would be considered most pythonic? Are there better options?

Answer 1

What about this ?

class ApiWrapper(object):

    def __init__(self, api):
        self._api = api

    def api_call(self, methodname, *args, **kwargs):
        method = getattr(self._api, methodname)
        try:
            return method(*args, **kwargs)
        except ApiException:
            print 'ApiWrapper caught an ApiException. Doing complicated error handling logic. Raising a different exception.'
            raise ApiWrapperException

    def do_one_thing(self):
        print 'do_one_thing stuff before API call'
        self.api_call("do_one_thing")
        print 'do_one_thing stuff after API call'