====== PHP RFC: non-capturing catches ======
  * Version: 0.9
  * Date: 2020-04-05
  * Author: Max Semenik <maxsem.wiki@gmail.com>
  * Status: Implemented in PHP 8.0
  * Implementation: https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/5345
  * First Published at: https://wiki.php.net/rfc/non-capturing_catches

===== Introduction =====
Currently, PHP requires to capture the exception being caught to a variable:
<code php>
try {
    foo();
} catch (SomeException $ex) {
    die($ex->getMessage());
}
</code>

However, you need to specify the variable even if it's not used:

<code php>
try {
    changeImportantData();
} catch (PermissionException $ex) {
    echo "You don't have permission to do this";
}
</code>

Someone reading the above code is left to wonder if the author intended to not use the exception variable or it's a bug.

===== Proposal =====
Allow catching exceptions without capturing them to variables:
<code php>
try {
    changeImportantData();
} catch (PermissionException) { // The intention is clear: exception details are irrelevant
    echo "You don't have permission to do this";
}
</code>

===== Prior art =====
Such change was first proposed in [[https://wiki.php.net/rfc/anonymous_catch|this RFC]] 7 years ago. It was turned down mostly because it also wanted to allow blanket catches like this:
<code php>
try {
    foo();
} catch {
    bar();
}
</code>
Meanwhile what I'm proposing here has received mostly positive feedback so I feel it's worth revisiting.

===== Backward Incompatible Changes =====
None.

===== Proposed PHP Version(s) =====
8.0

===== RFC Impact =====
None.

===== Vote =====
Voting started on 2020-05-10 and will end on 2020-05-24 at 9:00 UTC.
<doodle title="Accept this RFC?" auth="maxsem" voteType="single" closed="true">
   * Yes
   * No
</doodle>

===== Patches and Tests =====
* https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/5345

===== Implementation =====
After the project is implemented, this section should contain 
  - the version(s) it was merged into
  - a link to the git commit(s)
  - a link to the PHP manual entry for the feature
  - a link to the language specification section (if any)

===== References =====
* https://externals.io/message/109550 - initial announcements

===== Rejected Features =====
Keep this updated with features that were discussed on the mail lists.