http://www.python.org/sf/411881 is a bug about removing use
of 'except:' in stdlib code. In many cases the intent is to catch
one particular exception such as ImportError or AttributeError,
but catching all exceptions can disguise other problems.
Should PEP 8 mention this issue? Here's some proposed text for
discussion:
- When catching exceptions, mention specific exceptions
whenever possible instead of using a bare 'except:' clause.
For example, use::
try:
import platform_specific_module
except ImportError:
platform_specific_module = None
A bare 'except:' clause will catch SystemExit and KeyboardInterrupt
exceptions, making it harder to interrupt a program with Control-C,
and can disguise other problems. If you want to catch all
exceptions that signal program errors, use 'except StandardError:'.
A good rule of thumb is that you should only use 'except:' if the
exception handler will be printing out or logging the traceback; at
least the user will be aware that an error has occurred.
--amk
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