If you throw a general exception type, such as ``++std::exception++``, ``++std::logic_error++`` or ``++std::runtime_error++``, it forces consumers to catch all exceptions, including unknown exceptions they don't necessarily know how to handle.


Instead, either throw a subtype that already exists ( for example in ``++<stdexcept>++`` ), or create your own type that derives from a standard one.

== Noncompliant Code Example

[source,cpp]
----
throw std::logic_error("Unexpected null 'user_id' argument."); // Noncompliant
----

== Compliant Solution

[source,cpp]
----
throw std::invalid_argument("Unexpected null 'user_id' argument.");
----

== See

* https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/397[MITRE, CWE-397] - Declaration of Throws for Generic Exception
* https://wiki.sei.cmu.edu/confluence/x/_DdGBQ[CERT, ERR07-J.] - Do not throw RuntimeException, Exception, or Throwable
* https://github.com/isocpp/CppCoreGuidelines/blob/036324/CppCoreGuidelines.md#Re-exception-types[{cpp} Core Guidelines E.14] - Use purpose-designed user-defined types as exceptions (not built-in types)

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