Exceptions reflect the realization that the proper place to handle an error is generally not where the error itself occurs. The problem with exceptions (and error returns, for that matter) is that the best place to handle an error is also not the same as the best place to decide how to handle the error.

So far, the only programming environment I've seen that makes a three-way distinction between raising, recovering, and deciding how to recover from an error is Common Lisp with its condition system[1]. However, I've successfully implemented the idea in Java using exceptions as the non-local control flow primitive, and in C using setjmp/longjmp.

[1]: https://lispcookbook.github.io/cl-cookbook/error_handling.ht...