Python’s Built-in Exceptions

Built-in exceptions in Python are predefined error classes that the interpreter uses to handle various error conditions. When something goes wrong during program execution, Python raises (or “throws”) an appropriate exception, which can be “caught” and handled using try…except blocks.

Key Concepts

  • Exception Class Hierarchy: All built-in exceptions inherit from BaseException, with most practical exceptions inheriting from its subclass Exception.

  • Raising Exceptions: You can raise exceptions using the raise keyword:

    Python 
    raise ValueError("Invalid input")

  • Exception Handling: Use try…except blocks to catch and handle exceptions gracefully:

    Python 
     try:
     result = 10 / 0
 except ZeroDivisionError:
     print("To infinity and beyond...")

Python has a structured set of exceptions that cover many error conditions. In your code, you can catch specific errors by name to manage errors more precisely. Below is a list of Python’s built-in exceptions and their purposes:

  • ArithmeticError Serves as the base class for all errors that occur during arithmetic operations.
  • AssertionError Occurs when an assert statement fails.
  • AttributeError Occurs when you attempt to access a method or property that isn’t defined for the object in question.
  • BaseException Serves as the base class for all exceptions.
  • BlockingIOError Occurs when an input/output (I/O) operation is blocked.
  • BufferError Occurs when an operation can’t be performed on a buffer due to the current state of the buffer.
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