First Do No Harm: Deferred Error Handling – A Curricular Approach to Exceptions

This paper advocates the adoption of deferred error handling within computer science curricula. It argues that it is both a sound development strategy and aligns well with pedagogically. By deferring error handling, the student better appreciates its subtleties and its importance as an independent topic. This paper also includes other topics which may enhance curricula: an analysis of error reporting patterns, a taxonomy of error handlers, and factors influencing the selection of error reporting patterns. Much of the discussion is language independent, but specific attention is given to deferred handling of Java checked exceptions.