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The C++ Standard, [except.handle], paragraph 4 , states  [ISO/IEC 14882-2014], states the following:

The handlers for a try block are tried in order of appearance. That makes it possible to write handlers that can never be executed, for example by placing a handler for a derived class after a handler for a corresponding base class.

Consequently, if two handlers catch exceptions that are derived from the same base class (such as std::exception), the most derived exception must come first.

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In this noncompliant code example, the first handler will catch catches all exceptions of class B, as well as exceptions of class D, since they are also of class B. Consequently, the second handler will does not catch any exceptions.

// Classes used for exception handling.
class B {};
class D : public B {};

void f() {
  try {
    // ...
  } catch (B &b) {
    // ...
  } catch (D &d) {
    // ...
  }
}

...

In this compliant solution, the first handler will catch catches all exceptions of class D, and the second handler will catch catches all the other exceptions of class B.

// Classes used for exception handling.
class B {};
class D : public B {};

void f() {
  try {
    // ...
  } catch (D &d) {
    // ...
  } catch (B &b) {
    // ...
  }
}

...

Exception handlers with inverted priorities cause unexpected control flow when an exception occurs of the derived type occurs.

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Bibliography

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