"Barry Kelly" <✉eircom.net> wrote in message >

> Please list some valid uses of exception-swallowing try..except blocks,
> and I'll show you that the majority should have checked for error before
> doing whatever raised the exception.
>

Of course, but that doesn't mean we can't use them to our advantage. Here is
a common one that I use all the time. (And I mean, ALL THE TIME).


While I am working on creating a new procedure for Interbase, initially, the
procedure doesn't exist. However, as I'm working on debugging the code and
it's functionality, I frequently have to replace it with the new version.
So, in my code that creates the procedure, I put this:


    MyQuery.SQL.Text := 'Drop procedure WhatEver';
    try
        MyQuery.ExecSQL;
    except
    end;
    MyQuery.SQL.Text := 'Procedure WhatEver (SomeParam Int)';
    MyQuery.SQL.Add('more code here');
    .
    This let's me not worry about dropping the procedure the first time
(because I KNOW it doesn't even exist yet) and also runs flawlessly at the
client's if they happen to hit the update button more than once. I know that
I could put in code to check the existence of the procedure first, or even
create a procedure to do it for me by passing the name, but it's quicker
this way for me.


Woody