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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Python - using exceptions to set a fallback

In Python, you should use exceptions to catch error conditions such as files that you're unable to open, broken network connections, and user inputs which give a problem - it's all very well putting traditional checks in your code, but you'll be well advised to use try and catch as well for additional security.

You can also use exceptions as a safety net to set the fallback value for a variable if it hasn't otherwise been defined, as in this example:

# Lots of code that SHOULD set "status" variable ...
 
try:
  print status
except NameError:
  status = "OK"
  print status
 
print "Code carries on, status is ",status


With multiple except clauses, Python can handle different errors in different ways - if you're going to use this facility, list the most specific exceptions first, as Python will use whichever one matches first.

Note that in Python, you can also raise your own exceptions too - and you are strongly advised to do so when you want to return an 'error' from a function rather than a value. For example, you should raise an exception in a function that returns the number of children someone has, but the function cannot determine a result - it should NOT return a cardinal or special value such as 99 or -1 as that would make the calling code and handling of the results more complex (and, one day, someone MIGHT be a sperm donor and have fathered 99 children!)
(written 2009-07-12)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
Y109 - Python - Exceptions
  [381] Exceptions in Python - (2005-07-17)
  [1042] Nested exceptions in Python - (2007-01-18)
  [1236] Trying things in Python - (2007-06-18)
  [2018] UnboundLocalError - Python Message - (2009-01-31)
  [2368] Python - fresh examples of all the fundamentals - (2009-08-20)
  [2408] Robust user input (exception handling) example in Python - (2009-09-17)
  [2622] Handling unusual and error conditions - exceptions - (2010-02-03)
  [2994] Python - some common questions answered in code examples - (2010-10-10)
  [2998] Using an exception to initialise a static variable in a Python function / method - (2010-10-13)
  [3177] Insurance against any errors - Volcanoes and Python - (2011-02-19)
  [3433] Exceptions - a fail-safe way of trapping things that may go wrong - (2011-09-11)
  [3441] Pressing ^C in a Python program. Also Progress Bar. - (2011-09-15)
  [3664] Error checking in a Python program - making your program robust via exceptions - (2012-03-22)
  [3913] How many times ... has this loco headed west through Tenby? - Python exceptions - (2012-11-05)
  [3930] Reporting the full stack trace when you catch a Python exception - (2012-11-22)
  [4029] Exception, Lambda, Generator, Slice, Dict - examples in one Python program - (2013-03-04)
  [4161] Python varables - checking existance, and call by name or by value? - (2013-08-27)
  [4444] Elements of an exception in Python - try, except, else, finally - (2015-02-28)


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Great new diagrams for our notes ... Python releases
Strings as collections in Python
Everyone is in the customer relations business
Checking robots.txt from Python
Python - using exceptions to set a fallback
Creating and iterating through Python lists
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First courses for 2010
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Who is Marc Schneider of Multilingual Search Engine Optimization Inc
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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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