How do I handle signals and exceptions on Windows in C++?

Handling signals and exceptions in C++ on Windows can be done using structured exception handling (SEH) and also through the standard C++ exception handling mechanism. Below is an explanation of how these two systems work, along with a basic example of using them.

Structured Exception Handling (SEH)

Structured Exception Handling (SEH) is a Microsoft-specific way to handle exceptions that arise at the operating system level. You can catch hardware exceptions, such as access violations, using the try-except block.

Standard C++ Exception Handling

Standard C++ provides a way to handle exceptions using try, catch, and throw keywords. This allows you to manage exceptions that are raised from C++ code, such as runtime errors and logic errors.

Example Code

#include #include void causeAccessViolation() { int *p = nullptr; *p = 1; // This will cause an access violation } int main() { __try { causeAccessViolation(); } __except(EXCEPTION_EXECUTE_HANDLER) { std::cout << "Access violation occurred!" << std::endl; } try { throw std::runtime_error("Standard C++ exception"); } catch (const std::exception &e) { std::cout << "Caught exception: " << e.what() << std::endl; } return 0; }

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