std::terminate

 

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Exception handling exception uncaught_exceptionuncaught_exceptions (until C++20*)  (C++17) exception_ptr (C++11) make_exception_ptr (C++11) current_exception (C++11) rethrow_exception (C++11) nested_exception (C++11) throw_with_nested (C++11) rethrow_if_nested (C++11) Exception handling failures terminate terminate_handler get_terminate (C++11) set_terminate bad_exception unexpected (until C++17*) unexpected_handler (until C++17*) get_unexpected (until C++17*) set_unexpected (until C++17*) Error numbers Error codes errno Assertions assert

Exception categories logic_error invalid_argument domain_error length_error out_of_range runtime_error range_error overflow_error underflow_error tx_exception (TM TS) System error error_category (C++11) generic_category (C++11) system_category (C++11) error_condition (C++11) errc (C++11) error_code (C++11) system_error (C++11) Stacktrace stacktrace_entry (C++23) basic_stacktrace (C++23) Debugging support is_debugger_present (C++26) breakpoint_if_debugging (C++26) breakpoint (C++26)

 

Defined in header <exception>
void terminate();		(until C++11)
[[noreturn]]void terminate()noexcept;		(since C++11)

std::terminate() is called by the C++ runtime when the program cannot continue for any of the following reasons:

1) An exception is thrown and not caught (it is implementation-defined whether any stack unwinding is done in this case).

2) A function directly invoked by the exception handling mechanism while handling an exception that has not yet been caught exits via an exception (e.g. a destructor of some local object, or a copy constructor constructing a catch-clause parameter).

3) The constructor or the destructor of a static or thread-local(since C++11) object throws an exception.

4) A function registered with std::atexitor std::at_quick_exit(since C++11) throws an exception.

5) A dynamic exception specification is violated and the default handler for std::unexpected is executed. 6) A non-default handler for std::unexpected throws an exception that violates the previously violated dynamic exception specification, if the specification does not include std::bad_exception.

(until C++17)

7) A noexcept specification is violated (it is implementation-defined whether any stack unwinding is done in this case). 8)std::nested_exception::rethrow_nested is called for an object that isn't holding a captured exception. 9) An exception is thrown from the initial function of std::thread. 10) A joinable std::thread is destroyed or assigned to. 11)std::condition_variable::wait, std::condition_variable::wait_until, or std::condition_variable::wait_for fails to reach its postcondition (e.g. if relocking the mutex throws).

(since C++11)

12) A function invoked by a parallel algorithm exits via an uncaught exception and the execution policy specifies termination.

(since C++17)

std::terminate() may also be called directly from the program.

When std::terminate is called due to a thrown exception, an implicit try/catch handler is considered active. Thus, calling std::current_exception will return the thrown exception.

In any case, std::terminate calls the currently installed std::terminate_handler. The default std::terminate_handler calls std::abort.

If a destructor reset the terminate handler during stack unwinding and the unwinding later led to terminate being called, the handler that was installed at the end of the throw expression is the one that will be called. (note: it was ambiguous whether re-throwing applied the new handlers)	(until C++11)
If a destructor reset the terminate handler during stack unwinding, it is unspecified which handler is called if the unwinding later led to terminate being called.	(since C++11)

Notes

If the handler mechanism is not wanted, e.g. because it requires atomic operations which may bloat binary size, a direct call to std::abort is preferred when terminating the program abnormally.

Some compiler intrinsics, e.g. __builtin_trap (gcc, clang, and icc) or __debugbreak (msvc), can be used to terminate the program as fast as possible.

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 2111	C++11	effect of calling std::set_terminate during stack unwinding differs from C++98 and breaks some ABIs	made unspecified

See also

terminate_handler	the type of the function called by std::terminate (typedef)
abort	causes abnormal program termination (without cleaning up) (function)
breakpoint (C++26)	pauses the running program when called (function)