What is the base class for all exceptions in C#?
💡 Concept: Base Exception Class
All exceptions in C# derive from the System.Exception class, which serves as the root for exception handling in .NET.
📘 Quick Intro
System.Exception provides properties and methods to handle error information and supports custom exception creation.
🧠 Analogy
Think of System.Exception as the trunk of a tree, with all specific exceptions branching from it.
🔧 Technical Explanation
System.Exceptionis the base class for all exceptions.- Provides properties like Message, StackTrace, and InnerException.
- Enables catching all exceptions with a general catch block.
- Custom exceptions inherit from this class.
- Helps maintain a consistent exception handling framework.
🎯 Use Cases
- ✅ Catching all exceptions generically.
- ✅ Extending for custom exception types.
- ✅ Accessing detailed error information during debugging.
- ✅ Creating reusable error handling mechanisms.
💻 Code Example
try {
// Some risky code
}
catch (Exception ex) {
Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
Console.WriteLine(ex.StackTrace);
}
❓ Interview Q&A
Q1: What is the base class for all exceptions in C#?
A: System.Exception.
Q2: What properties does System.Exception provide?
A: Message, StackTrace, InnerException, etc.
Q3: Can you catch all exceptions using System.Exception?
A: Yes, with a generic catch block.
Q4: Why create custom exceptions if System.Exception exists?
A: To represent specific error conditions.
Q5: Is System.Exception serializable?
A: Yes, for remoting and logging.
Q6: What is InnerException?
A: The original exception that caused the current one.
Q7: Can System.Exception be thrown directly?
A: Yes, but generally custom exceptions are preferred.
Q8: How to access stack trace?
A: Using the StackTrace property.
Q9: Are exceptions expensive?
A: They have some performance cost.
Q10: How to best handle exceptions?
A: By catching specific exceptions where possible.
📝 MCQs
Q1. What is the base class for all exceptions?
- System.Error
- System.Exception
- System.Object
- System.Runtime
Q2. What properties does System.Exception provide?
- Message only
- StackTrace only
- Message, StackTrace
- None
Q3. Can you catch all exceptions using System.Exception?
- No
- Yes
- Sometimes
- Never
Q4. Why create custom exceptions?
- Avoid errors
- Represent specific errors
- Ignore errors
- Crash program
Q5. Is System.Exception serializable?
- No
- Yes
- Maybe
- Never
Q6. What is InnerException?
- New exception
- Original causing exception
- Random
- None
Q7. Can System.Exception be thrown directly?
- No
- Yes
- Sometimes
- Never
Q8. How to access stack trace?
- Message
- StackTrace
- InnerException
- None
Q9. Are exceptions expensive?
- No cost
- Some cost
- High cost
- Negligible
Q10. How to handle exceptions best?
- Catch all
- Ignore
- Catch specific exceptions
- Crash program
💡 Bonus Insight
Understanding System.Exception is foundational to building effective and maintainable error handling in C# applications.
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