Is there any difference between return and raise an Exception?
exception, python
Solution
`raise` and `return` are two inherently different keywords.
`raise`, commonly known as `throw` in other languages, produces an error in the current level of the call-stack. You can catch a raised error by covering the area where the error might be raised in a `try` and handling that error in an `except`.
try:
if something_bad:
raise generate_exception()
except CertainException, e:
do_something_to_handle_exception(e)
`return` on the other hand, returns a value to where the function was called from, so returning an exception usually is not the functionality you are looking for in a situation like this, since the exception itself is not the thing triggering the `except` it is instead the `raise`ing of the exception that triggers it.
Problem
Consider the following code: ``` def f(x): if x < 10: return Exception("error") else: raise Exception("error2") if __name__ == "__main__": try: f(5) # f(20) except Exception: print str(Exception) ``` Is there any difference? When should I use `return Exception` and when should I use `raise`?