[adalacelove]

Everybody chooses a favorite depending on their domain.

A function executes, and some error happens:

- Return error value: try to handle the error ASAP. The closer to the error the more detailed the information. Higher probability of recovery. Explicit error code handling throughout the code. Example: maybe you try again in one millisecond because the error is a very low probability but possible event.

- Exception: managing errors requires a high-level overview of the program state. Example: no space left on device, inform the user. You gather the detailed information where the error happened. The information is passed as-is or augmented with more information as it bubbles up the stack until someone decides to take action. Pros: separate error handling and happy path code, cleaner code. Cons: separate error handling and happy path code, unhandled errors.

Worst case scenario: you program in C. You don't have exceptions. You are forbidden to use setjmp because rules. A lot of errors are exposed directly to the programmer because this is a low-level language. You return error codes. Rules force you to handle every possible return code. Your code gets incorporated as an appendix to the Necronomicon.