Javascript try...catch...else...finally like Python, Java, Ruby, etc

Question

How can Javascript duplicate the four-part try-catch-else-finally execution model that other languages support?

A clear, brief summary is from the Python 2.5 what's new. In Javascript terms:

// XXX THIS EXAMPLE IS A SYNTAX ERROR
try {
  // Protected-block
} catch(e) {
  // Handler-block
} else {
  // Else-block
} finally {
  // Final-block
}

The code in Protected-block is executed. If the code throws an exception, Handler-block is executed; If no exception is thrown, Else-block is executed.

No matter what happened previously, Final-block is executed once the code block is complete and any thrown exceptions handled. Even if there’s an error in Handler-block or Else-block and a new exception is raised, the code in Final-block is still run.

Note that cutting Else-block and pasting at the end of Protected-block is wrong. If an error happens in Else-block, it must not be handled by Handler-block.

Answer 1

Extending the idea of jhs a little, the whole concept could be put inside a function, to provide even more readability:

var try_catch_else_finally = function(protected_code, handler_code, else_code, finally_code) {
  try {
    var success = true;
    try {
      protected_code();
    } catch(e) {
      success = false;
      handler_code({"exception_was": e});
    }
    if(success) {
      else_code();
    }
  } finally {
    finally_code();
  }
};

Then we can use it like this (very similar to the python way):

try_catch_else_finally(function() {
  // protected block
}, function() {
  // handler block
}, function() {
  // else block
}, function() {
  // final-block
});