How can I use built-in exceptions in Python?
Published on Aug. 22, 2023, 12:16 p.m.
To use built-in exceptions in Python, you can follow these steps:
- Identify the type of exception you want to raise, for example
ZeroDivisionError
orIndexError
. - Create an instance of the corresponding exception class using the
raise
keyword. - Include your custom message if desired, by passing it as a string argument to the exception constructor.
- Catch the exception using a
try-except
statement.
Here is an example:
# Example 1: Division by zero
x = 5
y = 0
try:
result = x / y
except ZeroDivisionError as e:
print("Error:", e)
# Example 2: Index out of range
my_list = [1, 2, 3]
try:
value = my_list[3]
except IndexError as e:
print("Error:", e)
In Example 1, we raise a ZeroDivisionError
exception when dividing a number by zero. We catch the exception using a try-except
statement and print the error message.
In Example 2, we raise an IndexError
exception when trying to access an element in a list that is out of range. Again, we catch the exception using a try-except
statement and print the error message.
Note that Python provides numerous built-in exceptions such as TypeError
, ValueError
, and KeyError
amongst others. It is always good practice to use the most appropriate built-in exception for an error.