In some rare cases, the client libraries may need to terminate the application because it encounters an unrecoverable error. For example:
If the application callsStatusOr<T>::value(), and the library was compiled with exceptions disabled, and theStatusOr<T>contains an error,thenthe function throws an exception to report the error as the function cannot return a valid value. Applications that disable exceptions should query theStatusOr<T>status (using.ok()or.status()) and avoid calling.value()if theStatusOr<T>is holding an error.
If the application callsfuture<T>::get(), the library was compiled with exceptions disabled, and (somehow) the future is satisfied with an exception. Note that the library APIs typically returnfuture<StatusOr<T>>to avoid this problem, but the application may have createdfuture<T>andpromise<T>pairs in their own code.
In these cases there is no mechanism to return the error. The library cannot continue working correctly and must terminate the program. The application may want to intercept these errors, before the application crashes, and log or otherwise capture additional information to help with debugging or troubleshooting. The functions in this module can be used to do so.
By their nature, there is no mechanism to "handle" and "recover" from unrecoverable errors. All the application can do is log additional information before the program terminates.
Note that the libraries do not use functions that can trigger unrecoverable errors (if they do we consider that a library bug).
The default behavior in the client library is to callstd::abort()when an unrecoverable error occurs.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-09-04 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThis document details how to handle unrecoverable errors in client libraries, which may lead to application termination when they occur.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eUnrecoverable errors typically arise when the library cannot return a valid value or an error due to exceptions being disabled, such as when calling \u003ccode\u003eStatusOr<T>::value()\u003c/code\u003e or \u003ccode\u003efuture<T>::get()\u003c/code\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe library cannot recover from these unrecoverable errors, and the application's only recourse is to log information before the program terminates.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe default behavior for unrecoverable errors is to call \u003ccode\u003estd::abort()\u003c/code\u003e, but the client library provides functions like \u003ccode\u003eSetTerminateHandler\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003eGetTerminateHandler\u003c/code\u003e, and \u003ccode\u003eTerminate\u003c/code\u003e to intercept these errors before the program crashes.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe document references multiple versions of the library ranging from version 2.10.1 to 2.37.0-rc.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Intercepting Unrecoverable Errors (2.28.0)\n\nVersion 2.28.0keyboard_arrow_down\n\n- [2.42.0-rc (latest)](/cpp/docs/reference/common/latest/group__terminate)\n- [2.41.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.41.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.40.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.40.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.39.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.39.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.38.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.38.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.37.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.37.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.36.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.36.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.35.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.35.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.34.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.34.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.33.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.33.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.32.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.32.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.31.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.31.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.30.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.30.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.29.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.29.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.28.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.27.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.27.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.26.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.26.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.25.1](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.25.1/group__terminate)\n- [2.24.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.24.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.23.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.23.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.22.1](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.22.1/group__terminate)\n- [2.21.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.21.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.20.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.20.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.19.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.19.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.18.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.18.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.17.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.17.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.16.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.16.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.15.1](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.15.1/group__terminate)\n- [2.14.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.14.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.13.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.13.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.12.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.12.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.11.0](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.11.0/group__terminate)\n- [2.10.1](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.10.1/group__terminate) \n\nIntercepting Unrecoverable Errors\n=================================\n\nIn some rare cases, the client libraries may need to terminate the application because it encounters an unrecoverable error. For example:\n\n- If the application calls [`StatusOr`](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/classgoogle_1_1cloud_1_1StatusOr)`\u003cT\u003e::value()`, and the library was compiled with exceptions disabled, and the [`StatusOr`](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/classgoogle_1_1cloud_1_1StatusOr)`\u003cT\u003e` contains an error, *then* the function throws an exception to report the error as the function cannot return a valid value. Applications that disable exceptions should query the [`StatusOr`](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/classgoogle_1_1cloud_1_1StatusOr)`\u003cT\u003e` status (using `.ok()` or `.status()`) and avoid calling `.value()` if the [`StatusOr`](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/classgoogle_1_1cloud_1_1StatusOr)`\u003cT\u003e` is holding an error.\n- If the application calls `future\u003cT\u003e::get()`, the library was compiled with exceptions disabled, and (somehow) the future is satisfied with an exception. Note that the library APIs typically return `future\u003c`[`StatusOr`](/cpp/docs/reference/common/2.28.0/classgoogle_1_1cloud_1_1StatusOr)`\u003cT\u003e\u003e` to avoid this problem, but the application may have created `future\u003cT\u003e` and `promise\u003cT\u003e` pairs in their own code.\n\nIn these cases there is no mechanism to return the error. The library cannot continue working correctly and must terminate the program. The application may want to intercept these errors, before the application crashes, and log or otherwise capture additional information to help with debugging or troubleshooting. The functions in this module can be used to do so.\n\nBy their nature, there is no mechanism to \"handle\" and \"recover\" from unrecoverable errors. All the application can do is log additional information before the program terminates.\n\nNote that the libraries do not use functions that can trigger unrecoverable errors (if they do we consider that a library bug).\n\nThe default behavior in the client library is to call `std::abort()` when an unrecoverable error occurs.\n\n### Functions\n\n- [`SetTerminateHandler(TerminateHandler)`](about:invalid#zCSafez)\n- [`GetTerminateHandler()`](about:invalid#zCSafez)\n- [`Terminate(char const *)`](about:invalid#zCSafez)\n\n### Types\n\n- [`TerminateHandler`](about:invalid#zCSafez)"]]