[support.contract]

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

## 17.10 Contract-violation handling [support.contract]

### [17.10.1](#contracts.syn) Header <contracts> synopsis [[contracts.syn]](contracts.syn)

[1](#contracts.syn-1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4387)

The header [<contracts>](#header:%3ccontracts%3e "17.10.1 Header <contracts> synopsis [contracts.syn]") defines types
for reporting information about contract violations ([[basic.contract.eval]](basic.contract.eval "6.11.2 Evaluation"))[.](#contracts.syn-1.sentence-1)

[🔗](#header:%3ccontracts%3e)

// all freestandingnamespace std::contracts {enum class assertion_kind : *unspecified* { pre = 1,
 post = 2,
 assert = 3}; enum class evaluation_semantic : *unspecified* { ignore = 1,
 observe = 2,
 enforce = 3,
 quick_enforce = 4}; enum class detection_mode : *unspecified* { predicate_false = 1,
 evaluation_exception = 2}; class contract_violation {// no user-accessible constructorpublic: contract_violation(const contract_violation&) = delete;
 contract_violation& operator=(const contract_violation&) = delete; *see below* ~contract_violation(); const char* comment() const noexcept;
 contracts::detection_mode detection_mode() const noexcept;
 exception_ptr evaluation_exception() const noexcept; bool is_terminating() const noexcept;
 assertion_kind kind() const noexcept;
 source_location location() const noexcept;
 evaluation_semantic semantic() const noexcept; }; void invoke_default_contract_violation_handler(const contract_violation&);}

### [17.10.2](#enum) Enumerations [[support.contract.enum]](support.contract.enum)

[1](#enum-1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4438)

*Recommended practice*: For all enumerations in [[support.contract.enum]](#enum "17.10.2 Enumerations"),
if implementation-defined enumerators are provided,
they should have a minimum value of 1000[.](#enum-1.sentence-1)

[2](#enum-2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4444)

The enumerators of assertion_kind correspond to
the syntactic forms of a contract assertion ([[basic.contract.general]](basic.contract.general "6.11.1 General")),
with meanings listed in Table [44](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind "Table 44: Enum assertion_­kind")[.](#enum-2.sentence-1)

Table [44](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind) — Enum assertion_kind [[tab:support.contract.enum.kind]](./tab:support.contract.enum.kind)  

| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind-row-1)<br>**Name** | **Meaning** |
| --- | --- |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind-row-2)<br>pre | A precondition assertion |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind-row-3)<br>post | A postcondition assertion |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind-row-4)<br>assert | An [*assertion-statement*](stmt.contract.assert#nt:assertion-statement "8.9 Assertion statement [stmt.contract.assert]") |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.kind-row-5) |

[3](#enum-3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4459)

The enumerators of evaluation_semantic correspond to
the evaluation semantics with which
a contract assertion may be evaluated ([[basic.contract.eval]](basic.contract.eval "6.11.2 Evaluation")),
with meanings listed in Table [45](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic "Table 45: Enum evaluation_­semantic")[.](#enum-3.sentence-1)

Table [45](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic) — Enum evaluation_semantic [[tab:support.contract.enum.semantic]](./tab:support.contract.enum.semantic)  

| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-1)<br>**Name** | **Meaning** |
| --- | --- |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-2)<br>ignore | Ignore evaluation semantic |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-3)<br>observe | Observe evaluation semantic |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-4)<br>enforce | Enforce evaluation semantic |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-5)<br>quick_enforce | Quick-enforce evaluation semantic |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.semantic-row-6) |

[4](#enum-4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4476)

The enumerators of detection_mode correspond to the manners in which a
contract violation can be identified ([[basic.contract.eval]](basic.contract.eval "6.11.2 Evaluation")), with
meanings listed in Table [46](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection "Table 46: Enum detection_­mode")[.](#enum-4.sentence-1)

Table [46](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection) — Enum detection_mode [[tab:support.contract.enum.detection]](./tab:support.contract.enum.detection)  

| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-1)<br>**Name** | **Meaning** |
| --- | --- |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-2)<br>predicate_false | The predicate of the contract assertion evaluated to false or would have evaluated to false[.](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-2-column-2-sentence-1) |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-3)<br>evaluation_exception | An uncaught exception occurred during evaluation of the contract assertion[.](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-3-column-2-sentence-1) |
| [🔗](#tab:support.contract.enum.detection-row-4) |

### [17.10.3](#violation) Class contract_violation [[support.contract.violation]](support.contract.violation)

[1](#violation-1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4491)

The class contract_violation defines the type of objects used to represent
a contract violation that has been detected
during the evaluation of a contract assertion
with a particular evaluation semantic ([[basic.contract.eval]](basic.contract.eval "6.11.2 Evaluation"))[.](#violation-1.sentence-1)

Objects of this type can
be created only by the implementation[.](#violation-1.sentence-2)

It isimplementation-defined
whether the destructor is virtual[.](#violation-1.sentence-3)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:1)

`const char* comment() const noexcept;
`

[2](#violation-2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4509)

*Returns*: Animplementation-definedntmbs in
the ordinary literal encoding ([[lex.charset]](lex.charset "5.3.1 Character sets"))[.](#violation-2.sentence-1)

[3](#violation-3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4516)

*Recommended practice*: The string returned
should contain a textual representation
of the predicate of the violated contract assertion
or an empty string if
storing a textual representation is undesired[.](#violation-3.sentence-1)

[*Note [1](#violation-note-1)*:

The string can represent a
truncated, reformatted, or summarized rendering of the
predicate, before or after preprocessing[.](#violation-3.sentence-2)

— *end note*]

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:2)

`contracts::detection_mode detection_mode() const noexcept;
`

[4](#violation-4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4536)

*Returns*: The enumerator value
corresponding to
the manner in which the contract violation was identified[.](#violation-4.sentence-1)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:3)

`exception_ptr evaluation_exception() const noexcept;
`

[5](#violation-5)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4550)

*Returns*: If the contract violation occurred
because the evaluation of the predicate exited via an exception,
an exception_ptr object that refers to
that exception or a copy of that exception;
otherwise, a null exception_ptr object[.](#violation-5.sentence-1)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:4)

`bool is_terminating() const noexcept;
`

[6](#violation-6)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4566)

*Returns*: true if the evaluation semantic is
a terminating semantic ([[basic.contract.eval]](basic.contract.eval "6.11.2 Evaluation"));
otherwise, false[.](#violation-6.sentence-1)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:5)

`assertion_kind kind() const noexcept;
`

[7](#violation-7)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4579)

*Returns*: The enumerator value
corresponding to
the syntactic form of the violated contract assertion[.](#violation-7.sentence-1)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:6)

`source_location location() const noexcept;
`

[8](#violation-8)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4592)

*Returns*: A source_location object
withimplementation-defined
value[.](#violation-8.sentence-1)

[9](#violation-9)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4599)

*Recommended practice*: The value returned should be
a default constructed source_location object
or a value identifying the violated contract assertion:

- [(9.1)](#violation-9.1)

  When possible,
if the violated contract assertion was a precondition,
the source location of the function invocation should be returned[.](#violation-9.1.sentence-1)

- [(9.2)](#violation-9.2)

  Otherwise,
the source location of the contract assertion should be returned[.](#violation-9.2.sentence-1)

[🔗](#violation-itemdecl:7)

`evaluation_semantic semantic() const noexcept;
`

[10](#violation-10)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4622)

*Returns*: The enumerator value
corresponding to
the evaluation semantic with which
the violated contract assertion was evaluated[.](#violation-10.sentence-1)

### [17.10.4](#invoke) Invoke default handler [[support.contract.invoke]](support.contract.invoke)

[🔗](#invoke-itemdecl:1)

`void invoke_default_contract_violation_handler(const contract_violation& v);
`

[1](#invoke-1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/support.tex#L4638)

*Effects*: Invokes the default contract-violation handler ([[basic.contract.handler]](basic.contract.handler "6.11.3 Contract-violation handler"))
with the argument v[.](#invoke-1.sentence-1)