c++ - When is a function try block useful?

Question

I'm wondering when programmers use function try blocks. When is it useful?

void f(int i)
try
{
   if ( i  < 0 ) 
      throw "less than zero";
   std::cout << "greater than zero" << std::endl;
}
catch(const char* e)
{
    std::cout << e << std::endl;
}

int main() {
        f(1);
        f(-1);
        return 0;
}

Output: (at ideone)

greater than zero
less than zero

EDIT: As some people might think that the syntax of function defintion is incorrect (because the syntax doesn't look familiar), I've to say that no its not incorrect. Its called function-try-block. See §8.4/1 [dcl.fct.def] in the C++ Standard.

Answer 1

You use it in constructors to catch errors from initializers. Usually, you don't catch those errors, so this is a quite exceptional use.

Otherwise, it is useless: unless I'm proven wrong,

void f() try { ... } catch (...) { ... }

is strictly equivalent to

void f() { try { ... } catch (...) { ... } }