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Introduction to error handling

Overview of error handling concepts you'll master in this chapter.

Error Handling
Chapter
Beginner
Difficulty
25min
Estimated Time

What to Expect

Comprehensive explanations with practical examples

Interactive coding exercises to practice concepts

Knowledge quiz to test your understanding

Step-by-step guidance for beginners

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Error Handling - Terminology Reference

This lesson provides a comprehensive reference of all the key error handling terminology you'll encounter throughout this chapter. Think of it as your error handling vocabulary guide - these are the essential terms every C++ programmer needs to know when dealing with testing, input validation, assertions, and robust error detection in their programs.

Complete Terminology Guide

Testing Fundamentals

Term Definition Example Purpose
Testing Process of verifying that code works correctly under various conditions Running different inputs Quality assurance
Test case Specific input and expected output used to verify program behavior Input: 5, Expected: 25 Verification scenario
Unit testing Testing individual functions or small code components in isolation Testing single function Component verification
Integration testing Testing how different parts of program work together Testing function interactions System verification
Black box testing Testing based only on input/output, not internal implementation User perspective testing External behavior focus
White box testing Testing with knowledge of internal code structure Code coverage testing Internal logic focus
Test suite Collection of test cases for a program or component Set of related tests Comprehensive testing
Test harness Framework or environment for running automated tests Testing infrastructure Automated verification

Code Coverage

Term Definition Measurement Goal
Code coverage Measure of how much code is executed during testing Percentage of lines/branches Testing completeness
Line coverage Percentage of code lines executed by tests Lines hit / total lines Statement execution
Branch coverage Percentage of decision branches taken during testing Branches taken / total branches Path testing
Function coverage Percentage of functions called during testing Functions called / total Function verification
Path coverage Testing all possible execution paths through code Complex path analysis Comprehensive testing
Coverage report Document showing which code was/wasn't tested Visual or text report Testing gaps identification

Common Errors

Term Definition Example Category
Logic error Code that compiles but doesn't produce expected results Wrong formula in calculation Semantic error
Runtime error Error that occurs during program execution Division by zero Execution error
Off-by-one error Mistake in loop bounds or array indexing Using <= instead of < Boundary error
Uninitialized variable Using variable before giving it a value int x; cout << x; Data error
Buffer overflow Writing data beyond allocated memory boundaries Array index out of bounds Memory error
Memory leak Allocated memory not properly released new without corresponding delete Resource error
Null pointer dereference Attempting to use pointer that points to invalid memory Using uninitialized pointer Pointer error
Integer overflow Arithmetic result too large for data type Adding to maximum int value Arithmetic error

Input Validation

Term Definition Example Purpose
Input validation Checking that user input meets program requirements Verifying positive numbers Data integrity
Boundary checking Verifying input values are within acceptable ranges Age between 0 and 150 Range validation
Type validation Ensuring input is the correct data type Checking for numeric input Type safety
Format validation Verifying input follows expected pattern Email format checking Structure validation
Sanitization Cleaning input data to remove potentially harmful content Removing special characters Security measure
Defensive programming Writing code that anticipates and handles unexpected situations Input validation, bounds checking Robust code practice

std::cin Error Handling

Term Definition Usage State Management
Input stream state Current condition of input stream (good, bad, fail, eof) cin.good(), cin.fail() Stream monitoring
fail() state Input stream failed to read expected data type Wrong type entered Type mismatch error
bad() state Serious input stream error occurred Hardware/system error Critical error
eof() state End-of-file reached on input stream No more input available Input exhaustion
good() state Input stream is ready for normal operations All operations successful Normal state
clear() Reset error flags on input stream cin.clear() Error recovery
ignore() Skip characters in input buffer cin.ignore(100, '\n') Buffer cleanup
Input buffer Temporary storage for typed but not yet processed input Keyboard buffer Input staging area

Assertions

Term Definition Syntax Usage
Assertion Statement that should always be true at specific program point assert(condition) Runtime checking
assert macro C++ macro for runtime assertion checking #include <cassert> Debug verification
static_assert Compile-time assertion for constant expressions static_assert(condition, "msg") Compile-time checking
Assertion failure When assertion condition evaluates to false Program terminates Error detection
Debug assertions Assertions active only in debug builds Disabled in release Development aid
Precondition Condition that must be true when function is called Input validation assertion Contract programming
Postcondition Condition that must be true when function returns Output validation assertion Result verification
Invariant Condition that should always be true during object lifetime Object state assertion Consistency checking

Error Detection Strategies

Term Definition Example Approach
Proactive error handling Preventing errors before they occur Input validation Prevention-focused
Reactive error handling Detecting and responding to errors after they occur Exception handling Response-focused
Error propagation Passing error information up through function call chain Return codes, exceptions Error communication
Graceful degradation Continuing operation with reduced functionality after error Fallback behavior Resilient design
Fail-fast Detecting and reporting errors as quickly as possible Immediate assertion failures Quick error detection
Fail-safe Continuing operation safely even when errors occur Default to safe behavior Robust operation

Error Communication

Term Definition Method Usage
Return code Function return value indicating success or failure 0 = success, non-zero = error Traditional C style
Error code Specific numeric value representing type of error Different numbers for different errors Error classification
Error message Human-readable description of what went wrong String describing error User communication
Error logging Recording error information for later analysis Writing to log files Debugging aid
Error reporting Notifying users or systems about errors User alerts, system notifications Error communication

Validation Patterns

Term Definition Implementation Benefit
Guard clause Early return when preconditions aren't met if (!valid) return; Clean error handling
Input loop Repeatedly prompt user until valid input received while (!valid_input) User-friendly input
Validation function Separate function dedicated to checking input validity bool isValidAge(int age) Reusable validation
Error state Program state indicating an error condition exists Boolean flag or error object State tracking
Recovery mechanism Code that restores normal operation after error Reset to known good state Error recovery

Testing Strategies

Term Definition Example Focus
Normal case testing Testing with typical, expected input values Valid user inputs Common scenarios
Edge case testing Testing with values at boundaries of valid ranges Minimum/maximum values Boundary conditions
Corner case testing Testing with unusual combinations of conditions Multiple edge cases together Complex scenarios
Negative testing Testing with invalid or unexpected inputs Wrong data types, out-of-range Error conditions
Stress testing Testing with excessive loads or extreme conditions Very large inputs Performance limits
Regression testing Re-running tests after code changes to ensure no new bugs Automated test suite Quality maintenance

Debugging Support

Term Definition Usage Purpose
Debug output Print statements showing program state during execution cout << "x = " << x << endl; Execution tracing
Trace statement Output showing program execution path Function entry/exit messages Flow monitoring
Checkpoint Known good state in program for debugging reference Validated intermediate results Progress markers
Debug flag Boolean variable controlling debug output if (DEBUG) cout << ... Conditional debugging
Debug build Program compiled with debugging information Compiler flags Development version
Release build Optimized program without debugging overhead Production compilation Performance version

Error Prevention

Term Definition Technique Benefit
Code review Having others examine code for potential problems Peer review process Early error detection
Pair programming Two programmers working together on same code Collaborative coding Real-time error prevention
Static analysis Analyzing code without executing it to find potential problems Compiler warnings, lint tools Pre-runtime checking
Const correctness Using const to prevent accidental modification const keyword usage Immutability assurance
Type safety Using type system to prevent type-related errors Strong typing Compile-time protection
Memory safety Preventing memory-related errors Smart pointers, bounds checking Memory error prevention

Quality Assurance

Term Definition Process Goal
Quality assurance Systematic process of ensuring software meets requirements Testing, reviews, standards Reliable software
Bug tracking Recording and managing discovered defects Issue tracking systems Problem management
Test planning Designing comprehensive testing strategy Test case design Systematic testing
Acceptance criteria Conditions that must be met for software to be acceptable Requirements specification Success definition
Performance testing Verifying software meets speed and resource requirements Timing and memory measurements Performance validation

Advanced Concepts

Term Definition Context Complexity Level
Exception handling Structured way of handling runtime errors Advanced C++ feature Intermediate
RAII Resource Acquisition Is Initialization - automatic cleanup Advanced C++ idiom Advanced
Error categories Systematic classification of different error types Error taxonomy Intermediate
Fault tolerance System's ability to continue operating despite errors Robust system design Advanced
Error recovery Restoring system to normal operation after error Advanced error handling Intermediate

How to Use This Reference

  1. When designing tests - Plan comprehensive test cases covering normal, edge, and error scenarios
  2. For input validation - Implement robust checking of user input
  3. During debugging - Use appropriate error detection and reporting techniques
  4. For quality assurance - Apply systematic testing and verification methods
  5. When handling errors - Choose appropriate error communication and recovery strategies

Study Tips

💡 Mastering Error Handling Terminology
• Practice testing strategies - Learn to design comprehensive test cases
• Implement input validation - Master std::cin error handling and user input validation
• Use assertions effectively - Understand when to use assert vs static_assert
• Develop debugging skills - Learn to trace program execution and identify error patterns

Ready for Error Handling?

Now that you have the complete error handling terminology reference, you're prepared to write robust, well-tested programs that handle errors gracefully and provide reliable user experiences.

🎯 Next Step
Begin with "Introduction to testing your code" to start learning how to systematically verify that your programs work correctly under all conditions. Use this reference whenever you encounter unfamiliar error handling concepts!

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