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In this noncompliant code example, a function is declared as nonthrowing, but it is possible for std::vector::resize() to throw an exception when the requested memory cannot be allocated.

#include <cstddef>
#include <vector>
 
void f(std::vector<int> &v, size_t s) noexcept(true) {
  v.resize(s); // May throw 
}

Compliant Solution

In this compliant solution, the function's noexcept-specification is removed, signifying that the function allows all exceptions.

#include <cstddef>
#include <vector>

void f(std::vector<int> &v, size_t s) {
  v.resize(s); // May throw, but that is okay
}

Noncompliant Code Example

In this noncompliant code example, the second function claims to throw only Exception1, but it may also throw Exception2.

#include <exception>
 
class Exception1 : public std::exception {};
class Exception2 : public std::exception {};

void foo() {
  throw Exception2{}; // Okay because foo() promises nothing about exceptions
}

void bar() throw (Exception1) {
  foo();    // Bad because foo() can throw Exception2
}

Compliant Solution

This compliant solution catches the exceptions thrown by foo().

#include <exception>
 
class Exception1 : public std::exception {};
class Exception2 : public std::exception {};

void foo() {
  throw Exception2{}; // Okay because foo() promises nothing about exceptions
}

void bar() throw (Exception1) {
  try {
    foo();
  } catch (Exception2 e) {
    // Handle error without rethrowing it
  }
}

Compliant Solution

This compliant solution declares a dynamic exception-specification for bar(), which covers all of the exceptions that can be thrown from it.

#include <exception>
 
class Exception1 : public std::exception {};
class Exception2 : public std::exception {};

void foo() {
  throw Exception2{}; // Okay because foo() promises nothing about exceptions
}

void bar() throw (Exception1, Exception2) {
  foo();
}

Noncompliant Code Example

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#include <cstddef>
#include <vector>
 
void f(std::vector<int> &v, size_t s) noexcept(true) {
  v.resize(s); // May throw 
}

Compliant Solution

In this compliant solution, the function's noexcept-specification is removed, signifying that the function allows all exceptions.

#include <cstddef>
#include <vector>

void f(std::vector<int> &v, size_t s) {
  v.resize(s); // May throw, but that is okay
}

Implementation Details

Some vendors provide language extensions for specifying whether or not a function throws. For instance, Microsoft Visual Studio provides __declspec(nothrow)), and Clang supports __attribute__((nothrow)). Currently, the vendors do not document the behavior of specifying a nonthrowing function using these extensions. Throwing from a function declared with one of these language extensions is presumed to be undefined behavior.

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Automated Detection

Related Vulnerabilities

Search for vulnerabilities resulting from the violation of this rule on the CERT website.

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