Question

Modifying to make it clear:

I have a question on exception logging and graceful exit. This is in continuation with previous question. The code looks like:

string status = "0";
ClassA ObjA = new ClassA();

try
{
    status = objA.Method1();
    if (status != "-1")
    {                        
        status = objA.Method1();
    }
 }
 catch (Exception Ex)
 {
     //Log Exception EX
 }

Inside the Method1:

public string Method1()
{
    string status = "0";
    try
    {
        //Code
        return "0";
    }
    catch (Exception Ex)
    {
        //Log Exception with details
        return "-1"
    }
}

I log the Exception in the calling method and return only a status to the caller.
Should I return the Exception to the calling method or is only a status sufficient. With a status of “-1”, I know there was an Exception in the called method and details of that Exception were logged in a log file.

Answer 1

Don’t use the status return value, it is not adding anything that is useful to you.

consider,

var a = new ClassA()
try
{
    a.Mehtod1();
}
catch
{
    try
    {
        a.Method1();
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        //Log without details;
    }
}

class ClassA
{
    void Method1()
    {
        try
        {
             //Code
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            //Log with details
            throw;
        }            
    }
}

This code achieves the same functionality but leaves the return code of the functions for something useful and non exceptional.

More generally, I suggest that you should have one catch all handler at the top level of your application that deals with logging, or at most one per public entry point. Other handlers should deal with specific exception types that they can actually “handle” (do something about.)