silly try/catch

try-catch.sh

# try catch for bash/mksh/zsh/dash/busybox
[ "$BASH_VERSION" ] && shopt -s expand_aliases
alias try='tryblock ()'
alias throw='return'
alias catch='if tryblock; then :; else '
alias end_try='fi'
alias exceptions:='case $? in x) '
alias except=';;'
alias end_exceptions='esac'
alias always=' '

try {
  echo a: this should run
  try {
    echo b: this should run
    ! (( RANDOM % 3 )) && throw 1 # this doesn't work in dash but that's not the point
    echo c: this maybe runs
    ! (( RANDOM % 3 )) && throw 2
    echo d: this maybe runs
    throw 3
    echo e: this never runs
  }
  catch {
    exceptions:
      except 1) echo exception 1
      except 2) echo exception 2
      except *) echo exception unknown
    end_exceptions
  }
  always {
    echo always runs
  }
  end_try
  echo after first try block
  throw 1
  echo this never runs
}
catch {
  echo this was caught
}
end_try

I really like this; I simplified it a bit for my purposes:

alias try='tryblock ()'
alias catch='tryblock ||'

try {
  echo b: this should run
  return 1
  echo e: this never runs
}; catch {
  echo 'caught error'
}

👍