❗ PHP Exceptions – Create, Throw, and Handle Errors Using Object-Oriented Logic

Learn how to work with PHP exceptions to catch and manage runtime errors in a structured, object-oriented way.

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🧲 Introduction – What Are Exceptions in PHP?

An exception is a special object that represents an error condition or unexpected event that disrupts normal program flow. PHP allows you to throw exceptions when something goes wrong, and catch them to handle errors without crashing the application.

Exceptions provide a more organized and powerful alternative to traditional error handling using error_reporting().

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to throw and catch exceptions in PHP
• The structure of the Exception class
• How to define and use custom exception classes
• Best practices for application-level error handling

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❗ Throwing Exceptions in PHP

throw new Exception("Something went wrong");

📌 Use throw to raise exceptions during runtime

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🚨 Catching Exceptions with try…catch

try {
    throw new Exception("Error occurred");
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo "❗ Caught exception: " . $e->getMessage();
}

✅ Wrap risky code inside try, handle errors inside catch

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📋 Exception Class Overview

PHP provides a base Exception class with useful methods:

$e = new Exception("Invalid input", 1001);

echo $e->getMessage(); // Error message
echo $e->getCode();    // Error code
echo $e->getFile();    // File where exception occurred
echo $e->getLine();    // Line number
echo $e->getTraceAsString(); // Stack trace

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🧱 Creating Custom Exception Classes

Define application-specific exceptions by extending the base Exception class:

class ValidationException extends Exception {}

throw new ValidationException("Missing email");

✅ Improves error clarity and allows type-specific catching

try {
    throw new ValidationException("Invalid form");
} catch (ValidationException $e) {
    echo "🛑 Form Error: " . $e->getMessage();
} catch (Exception $e) {
    echo "🔧 General Error: " . $e->getMessage();
}

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🧰 Exception Hierarchy in PHP

Throwable (PHP 7+)
 ├── Error           // For system-level issues (e.g., type errors)
 └── Exception       // For application-level errors
     └── CustomException classes

✅ In PHP 7+, both Exception and Error implement Throwable

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🧠 When to Use Exceptions

Scenario	Use Exceptions?
Database connection failure	✅ Yes
Form validation	✅ Yes
Missing required input	✅ Yes
Control flow logic	❌ No

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📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

PHP exceptions provide a robust, object-oriented mechanism to manage errors gracefully. They improve error readability, allow structured handling, and simplify debugging in complex systems.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Use throw new Exception() to raise application-level errors
• Catch exceptions using try…catch blocks
• Create custom exception classes for clearer, modular error handling
• Avoid using exceptions for control flow or minor checks

⚙️ Real-World Use Cases:
API error handling, file access errors, failed login attempts, form validation, third-party integration errors

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

❓ What is the difference between Exception and Error?
✅ Exception is for user-defined errors; Error is for system-level issues like type mismatches or out-of-memory.

❓ Can I catch all exceptions?
✅ Yes. Use catch (Throwable $e) to catch both Exception and Error.

❓ Should I log exceptions?
✅ Always. Use error_log() or logging frameworks to record exception details.

❓ Can I nest exceptions or use them in loops?
✅ Yes, but use cautiously — exceptions should signal rare, unexpected conditions.

❓ Can exceptions carry custom data?
✅ Extend the Exception class with additional properties/methods if needed.

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