[Python-Dev] Pre-PEP: Unifying try-except and try-finally

[Guido van Rossum]

[Tim]
> I'm curious to know if you (Guido) remember why you removed this
> feature in Python 0.9.6?  From the HISTORY file:
> 
> """
> New features in 0.9.6:
> - stricter try stmt syntax: cannot mix except and finally clauses on 1 try
> """
> 
> IIRC (and I may well not), half of people guessed wrong about whether
> an exception raised in an "except:" suite would or would not skip
> execution of the same-level "finally:" suite.
> 
> try:
>     1/0
> except DivisionByZero:
>     2/0
> finally:
>     print "yes or no?"
> 
> The complementary question is whether an exception in the "finally:"
> suite will be handled by the same-level "except:" suites.

No. The rule of thumb is that control only passes forward.

> There are obvious answers to both, of course.  The question is whether
> they're the _same_ obvious answers across responders <0.7 wink>.

I think the main person confused was me. :-)

In addition, at the time I don't think I knew Java -- certainly I
didn't know it well enough to realize that it gives this construct the
meaning proposed by Reinhold's PEP.

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)