Common Lisp the Language, 2nd Edition

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29.3.17. Condition Handlers

A handler is a function of one argument, the condition to be handled. The handler may inspect the object to be sure it is ``interested’’ in handling the condition.

A handler is executed in the dynamic context of the signaler, except that the set of available condition handlers will have been rebound to the value that was active at the time the condition handler was made active. The intent of this is to prevent infinite recursion because of errors in a condition handler.

After inspecting the condition, the handler should take one of the following actions:

• It might decline to handle the condition (by simply returning). When this happens, the returned values are ignored and the effect is the same as if the handler had been invisible to the mechanism seeking to find a handler. The next handler in line will be tried, or if no such handler exists, the condition will go unhandled.
• It might handle the condition (by performing some non-local transfer of control). This may be done either primitively using go, return, or throw, or more abstractly using a function such as abort or invoke-restart.
• It might signal another condition.
• It might invoke the interactive debugger.

In fact, the latter two actions (signaling another condition or entering the debugger) are really just ways of putting off the decision to either handle or decline, or trying to get someone else to make such a decision. Ultimately, all a handler can do is to handle or decline to handle.

Next: Printing Conditions Up: Survey of Concepts Previous: Resignaling Conditions

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