? PHP Exception Handling – Errors & Exceptions Together

? Quick Overview

PHP allows handling traditional runtime errors and object-oriented exceptions together using a unified approach. By converting errors into exceptions, developers can manage all failures through structured try-catch blocks.

? Key Concepts

Errors are generated automatically by PHP (warnings, notices).
Exceptions are manually thrown objects.
Errors can be converted into exceptions using set_error_handler().
Unified handling improves debugging and maintainability.

? Syntax & Theory

A custom error handler transforms PHP errors into ErrorException objects. Once registered, all errors behave like exceptions and can be caught inside try-catch blocks.

? Code Example

? View Code Example

// Convert PHP errors into exceptions
<?php
function errorToException($severity,$message,$file,$line){
throw new ErrorException($message,0,$severity,$file,$line);
}
// Register custom error handler
set_error_handler("errorToException");
try{
// Trigger a PHP error
$number=5/0;
// Manually throw an exception
throw new Exception("Manual exception triggered");
}
catch(ErrorException $ee){
echo "Caught an error as exception: ".$ee->getMessage()."<br>";
}
catch(Exception $e){
echo "Caught an exception: ".$e->getMessage()."<br>";
}
?>

? Live Output / Explanation

Both runtime errors and manual exceptions are captured using catch blocks. PHP notices such as division by zero are treated the same way as traditional exceptions.

? Interactive Concept Flow

Think of the process as:

Error occurs ➜ Converted to Exception
Exception enters try-catch flow
Handled consistently with other exceptions

? Use Cases

Enterprise-level applications
Centralized logging systems
Framework-level error handling
Debugging complex runtime issues

? Tips & Best Practices

Always register the error handler early.
Log errors and exceptions together.
Use multiple catch blocks for clarity.
Avoid suppressing errors using @.

? Try It Yourself

Trigger notices, warnings, and fatal errors.
Log caught exceptions to a file.
Display friendly messages to users.
Experiment with different error severity levels.