[exception]

# 17 Language support library [[support]](./#support)

## 17.9 Exception handling [[support.exception]](support.exception#exception)

### 17.9.3 Class exception [exception]

[🔗](#lib:exception)

namespace std {class exception {public:constexpr exception() noexcept; constexpr exception(const exception&) noexcept; constexpr exception& operator=(const exception&) noexcept; constexpr virtual ~exception(); constexpr virtual const char* what() const noexcept; };}

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3893)

The classexception defines the base
class for the types of objects thrown as exceptions by
C++ standard library components, and certain
expressions, to report errors detected during program execution[.](#1.sentence-1)

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3901)

Except where explicitly specified otherwise,
each standard library class T that derives from class exception has the following publicly accessible member functions, each of them having
a non-throwing exception specification ([[except.spec]](except.spec "14.5 Exception specifications")):

- [(2.1)](#2.1)

default constructor (unless the class synopsis shows other constructors)

- [(2.2)](#2.2)

copy constructor

- [(2.3)](#2.3)

copy assignment operator

The copy constructor and the copy assignment operator meet
the following postcondition: If two objects lhs and rhs both have
dynamic type T and lhs is a copy of rhs, thenstrcmp(lhs.what(), rhs.what()) is equal to 0[.](#2.sentence-1)

The what() member function of each such T satisfies the
constraints specified for exception​::​what() (see below)[.](#2.sentence-2)

[🔗](#lib:exception,constructor_)

`constexpr exception(const exception& rhs) noexcept;
constexpr exception& operator=(const exception& rhs) noexcept;
`

[3](#3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3926)

*Postconditions*: If *this and rhs both have dynamic type exception then the value of the expression strcmp(what(), rhs.what()) shall equal 0[.](#3.sentence-1)

[🔗](#lib:exception,destructor)

`constexpr virtual ~exception();
`

[4](#4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3938)

*Effects*: Destroys an object of classexception[.](#4.sentence-1)

[🔗](#lib:what,exception)

`constexpr virtual const char* what() const noexcept;
`

[5](#5)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3950)

*Returns*: An implementation-defined ntbs,
which during constant evaluation is encoded with
the ordinary literal encoding ([[lex.ccon]](lex.ccon "5.13.3 Character literals"))[.](#5.sentence-1)

[6](#6)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L3956)

*Remarks*: The message may be a[null-terminated multibyte string](multibyte.strings#def:ntmbs "16.3.3.3.4.3 Multibyte strings [multibyte.strings]"),
suitable for conversion and display as awstring ([[string.classes]](string.classes "27.4 String classes"), [[locale.codecvt]](locale.codecvt "28.3.4.2.5 Class template codecvt"))[.](#6.sentence-1)

The return value remains valid until the exception object from which
it is obtained is destroyed or a non-const member function of the exception object is called[.](#6.sentence-2)