How is the C++ exception handling runtime implemented?

Question

I am intrigued by how the C++ exception handling mechanism works. Specifically, where is the exception object stored and how does it propagate through several scopes until it is caught? Is it stored in some global area?

Since this could be compiler specific could somebody explain this in the context of the g++ compiler suite?

Answer 1

Implementations may differ, but there are some basic ideas that follow from requirements.

The exception object itself is an object created in one function, destroyed in a caller thereof. Hence, it's typically not feasible to create the object on the stack. On the other hand, many exception objects are not very big. Ergo, one can create e.g a 32 byte buffer and overflow to heap if a bigger exception object is actually needed.

As for the actual transfer of control, two strategies exist. One is to record enough information in the stack itself to unwind the stack. This is basically a list of destructors to run and exception handlers that might catch the exception. When an exception happens, run back the stack executing those destructors until you find a matching catch.

The second strategy moves this information into tables outside the stack. Now, when an exception occurs, the call stack is used to find out which scopes are entered but not exited. Those are then looked up in the static tables to determine where the thrown exception will be handled, and which destructors run in between. This means there is less exception overhead on the stack; return addresses are needed anyway. The tables are extra data, but the compiler can put them in a demand-loaded segment of the program.