C++ - Arguments for Exceptions over Return Codes

Question

I\'m having a discussion about which way to go in a new C++ project. I favor exceptions over return codes (for exceptional cases only) for the following reasons -

Answer 1

One of the things I like about C++ is that it's very easy to think how the higher-level features might be implemented in terms of C features (which are easy to understand in terms of assembly). Exceptions for C++ break this mold. To get this level of understanding I have to do a lot. Just read this and you'll spend a lot of time scratching your head before you understand it.

Furthermore, exceptions require you to have good discipline making your code exception safe, and resource leak free. This means using RAII for anything that holds a resource ..

Additionally, exceptions have been shown when I have measured them to be a many, many orders of magnitude slower compared to a simple return code.

Well then they say you should only throw in exceptional circumstances, but how do you communicate the non-exceptional, expected, often-occuring errors. Well return codes of course! :)

I don't see how the benefits are worth it.