Hi, catching exceptions by value is a bad thing, as it may cause slicing, i.e. a) a superfluous copy b) which is only partial. See also https://github.com/isocpp/CppCoreGuidelines/blob/master/CppCoreGuidelines.md#e15-catch-exceptions-from-a-hierarchy-by-reference
To warn the user about catch handlers of non-reference type, the following patch adds a new C++/ObjC++ warning option "-Wcatch-value". Bootstrapped and regtested on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu. OK for trunk? Regards, Volker 2017-05-01 Volker Reichelt <v.reich...@netcologne.de> * doc/invoke.texi (-Wcatch-value): Document new warning option. Index: gcc/doc/invoke.texi =================================================================== --- gcc/doc/invoke.texi (revision 247416) +++ gcc/doc/invoke.texi (working copy) @@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ -Wno-builtin-declaration-mismatch @gol -Wno-builtin-macro-redefined -Wc90-c99-compat -Wc99-c11-compat @gol -Wc++-compat -Wc++11-compat -Wc++14-compat -Wcast-align -Wcast-qual @gol --Wchar-subscripts -Wchkp -Wclobbered -Wcomment @gol +-Wchar-subscripts -Wchkp -Wcatch-value -Wclobbered -Wcomment @gol -Wconditionally-supported @gol -Wconversion -Wcoverage-mismatch -Wno-cpp -Wdangling-else -Wdate-time @gol -Wdelete-incomplete @gol @@ -5827,6 +5827,11 @@ literals to @code{char *}. This warning is enabled by default for C++ programs. +@item -Wcatch-value @r{(C++ and Objective-C++ only)} +@opindex Wcatch-value +@opindex Wno-catch-value +Warn about catch handler of non-reference type. + @item -Wclobbered @opindex Wclobbered @opindex Wno-clobbered =================================================================== 2017-05-01 Volker Reichelt <v.reich...@netcologne.de> * c.opt (Wcatch-value): New C++ warning flag. Index: gcc/c-family/c.opt =================================================================== --- gcc/c-family/c.opt (revision 247416) +++ gcc/c-family/c.opt (working copy) @@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ C ObjC C++ ObjC++ Var(warn_cast_qual) Warning Warn about casts which discard qualifiers. +Wcatch-value +C++ ObjC++ Var(warn_catch_value) Warning +Warn about catch handlers of non-reference type. + Wchar-subscripts C ObjC C++ ObjC++ Var(warn_char_subscripts) Warning LangEnabledBy(C ObjC C++ ObjC++,Wall) Warn about subscripts whose type is \"char\". =================================================================== 2017-05-01 Volker Reichelt <v.reich...@netcologne.de> * semantics.c (finish_handler_parms): Warn about non-reference type catch handlers. Index: gcc/cp/semantics.c =================================================================== --- gcc/cp/semantics.c (revision 247416) +++ gcc/cp/semantics.c (working copy) @@ -1321,7 +1321,15 @@ } } else - type = expand_start_catch_block (decl); + { + type = expand_start_catch_block (decl); + if (warn_catch_value + && type != NULL_TREE + && type != error_mark_node + && TREE_CODE (TREE_TYPE (decl)) != REFERENCE_TYPE) + warning (OPT_Wcatch_value, + "catching non-reference type %qT", TREE_TYPE (decl)); + } HANDLER_TYPE (handler) = type; } =================================================================== 2017-05-01 Volker Reichelt <v.reich...@netcologne.de> * g++.dg/warn/Wcatch-value-1.C: New test. Index: gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/warn/Wcatch-value-1.C =================================================================== --- gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/warn/Wcatch-value-1.C 2017-05-01 +++ gcc/testsuite/g++.dg/warn/Wcatch-value-1.C 2017-05-01 @@ -0,0 +1,45 @@ +// { dg-options "-Wcatch-value" } + +struct A {}; +struct B {}; +struct C {}; + +void foo() +{ + try {} + catch (int) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + catch (double*) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + catch (float&) {} + catch (A) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + catch (A[2]) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + catch (B*) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + catch (B&) {} + catch (const C&) {} +} + +template<typename T> void foo1() +{ + try {} + catch (T) {} +} + +void bar1() +{ + foo1<int&>(); + foo1<const A&>(); +} + +template<typename T> void foo2() +{ + try {} + catch (T) {} // { dg-warning "catching non-reference type" } + + try {} + catch (T&) {} +} + +void bar2() +{ + foo2<int*>(); // { dg-message "required" } + foo2<A>(); // { dg-message "required" } +} ===================================================================