TL;DR: Creating a new exception without throwing it leads to silent failures. When You Forget to Throw, Your Code Will Blow 💣💥 Problems 😔 Silent failures
Unhandled errors
Misleading logic
Hidden defects
Hollow Exceptions Solutions 😃 Always ensure you throw exceptions
Check exception usage and catching
Test exception paths
Use linters
Avoid creating unused exceptions Context 💬 When you create a new exception but forget to throw it, your code might appear to work correctly, but it silently ignores critical errors. Creating exceptions is the same as creating business objects and constructors should not have side effects. Unless you throw them, it is dead code. Sample Code Wrong 🚫 class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        self.message = message
    # This is a hollow exception        

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        KlendathuInvasionError("Drop zone is hot!")  
        # Never thrown
    print("Troopers deployed.")

deploy_troops(False) Right 👉 class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        super().__init__(message)

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        raise Exception("Drop zone is hot!")
    # You throw the exception
    print("Troopers deployed.")

try:
    deploy_troops(False)
except KlendathuInvasionError as e:
    print(f"Abort mission: {e}")
    # You handle the exception Detection 🔍 You can detect this smell by reviewing your code for instances where you create exceptions but do not raise them. You can also search for instances where an exception is instantiated but never raised. Automated linters and static analyzers can flag such issues. Tags 🏷️ Exceptions Level 🔋 Beginner Why the Bijection Is Important 🗺️ An exception represents a real-world failure inside your program. If you create an exception but never throw it, your code lies about the presence of an error. When you fail to throw an exception, you break the one-to-one correspondence between the real-world problem and its coding representation. AI Generation 🤖 AI generators might create this smell if they generate exception-handling code without ensuring that exceptions are properly raised. Always review AI-generated code for proper error handling. AI Detection 🦾 AI-based linters can detect this smell by analyzing unreferenced exception instances. Fixing it requires proper domain knowledge to decide where to throw the exception. Try Them! 🛞 Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI Conclusion ✔️ Always throw exceptions immediately after you create them. Silent failures can lead to significant issues in your code, making it harder to maintain and debug. Proper error handling and good coverage ensure your code behaves predictably and reliably. Relations 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxiii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vi-cmj31om https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ii-o96s3wl4 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxvii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xv Disclaimer 📘 Code Smells are my opinion. Credits 🙏 Photo by Bethany Reeves on Unsplash Software is like entropy: It is difficult to grasp, weighs nothing, and obeys the Second Law of Thermodynamics; i.e., it always increases. Norman Augustine https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true TL;DR: Creating a new exception without throwing it leads to silent failures. TL;DR: Creating a new exception without throwing it leads to silent failures. When You Forget to Throw, Your Code Will Blow 💣💥 When You Forget to Throw, Your Code Will Blow Problems 😔 Silent failures Unhandled errors Misleading logic Hidden defects Hollow Exceptions Silent failures Silent Unhandled errors Misleading logic Hidden defects Hollow Exceptions Exceptions Solutions 😃 Always ensure you throw exceptions Check exception usage and catching Test exception paths Use linters Avoid creating unused exceptions Always ensure you throw exceptions throw exceptions Check exception usage and catching Test exception paths Use linters linters Avoid creating unused exceptions unused exceptions Context 💬 When you create a new exception but forget to throw it , your code might appear to work correctly, but it silently ignores critical errors. forget to throw it silently Creating exceptions is the same as creating business objects and constructors should not have side effects . side effects side effects Unless you throw them, it is dead code . dead code dead code Sample Code Wrong 🚫 class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        self.message = message
    # This is a hollow exception        

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        KlendathuInvasionError("Drop zone is hot!")  
        # Never thrown
    print("Troopers deployed.")

deploy_troops(False) class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        self.message = message
    # This is a hollow exception        

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        KlendathuInvasionError("Drop zone is hot!")  
        # Never thrown
    print("Troopers deployed.")

deploy_troops(False) Right 👉 class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        super().__init__(message)

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        raise Exception("Drop zone is hot!")
    # You throw the exception
    print("Troopers deployed.")

try:
    deploy_troops(False)
except KlendathuInvasionError as e:
    print(f"Abort mission: {e}")
    # You handle the exception class KlendathuInvasionError(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message):
        super().__init__(message)

def deploy_troops(safe):
    if not safe:
        raise Exception("Drop zone is hot!")
    # You throw the exception
    print("Troopers deployed.")

try:
    deploy_troops(False)
except KlendathuInvasionError as e:
    print(f"Abort mission: {e}")
    # You handle the exception Detection 🔍 You can detect this smell by reviewing your code for instances where you create exceptions but do not raise them. You can also search for instances where an exception is instantiated but never raised. Automated linters and static analyzers can flag such issues. Tags 🏷️ Exceptions Exceptions Level 🔋 Beginner Beginner Why the Bijection Is Important 🗺️ An exception represents a real-world failure inside your program. real-world If you create an exception but never throw it, your code lies about the presence of an error. When you fail to throw an exception, you break the one-to-one correspondence between the real-world problem and its coding representation. one-to-one AI Generation 🤖 AI generators might create this smell if they generate exception-handling code without ensuring that exceptions are properly raised . ensuring that exceptions are properly raised Always review AI-generated code for proper error handling. AI Detection 🦾 AI-based linters can detect this smell by analyzing unreferenced exception instances. Fixing it requires proper domain knowledge to decide where to throw the exception . where to throw the exception Try Them! 🛞 Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions ChatGPT

ChatGPT Claude

Claude Perplexity

Perplexity Copilot

Copilot Gemini

Gemini DeepSeek

DeepSeek Meta AI

Meta AI Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions Without Proper Instructions Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions With Specific Instructions ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Conclusion ✔️ Always throw exceptions immediately after you create them. immediately Silent failures can lead to significant issues in your code, making it harder to maintain and debug. Proper error handling and good coverage ensure your code behaves predictably and reliably. good coverage Relations 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxiii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxiii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vi-cmj31om https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vi-cmj31om https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ii-o96s3wl4 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ii-o96s3wl4 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxvii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxvii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xv https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xv Disclaimer 📘 Code Smells are my opinion . opinion Credits 🙏 Photo by Bethany Reeves on Unsplash Bethany Reeves Unsplash Software is like entropy: It is difficult to grasp, weighs nothing, and obeys the Second Law of Thermodynamics; i.e., it always increases. Software is like entropy: It is difficult to grasp, weighs nothing, and obeys the Second Law of Thermodynamics; i.e., it always increases. Norman Augustine Norman Augustine https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true

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When You Forget to Throw, Your Code Will Blow

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