This library never throws exceptions to signal error. In general, the library returns a StatusOr if an error is possible. Some functions return objects that are not wrapped in a StatusOr<T> but will themselves return a StatusOr<T> to signal an error. For example, wrappers for asynchronous operations return future<StatusOr<T>>.
Applications should check if the StatusOr<T> contains a value before using it, much like how you might check that a pointer is not null before dereferencing it. Indeed, a StatusOr<T> object can be used like a smart-pointer to T, with the main difference being that when it does not hold a T it will instead hold a Status object with extra information about the error.
You can check that a StatusOr<T> contains a value by calling the .ok() method, or by using operator bool() (like with other smart pointers). If there is no value, you can access the contained Status object using the .status() member. If there is a value, you may access it by dereferencing with operator*() or operator->(). As with all smart pointers, callers must first check that the StatusOr<T> contains a value before dereferencing and accessing the contained value. Alternatively, callers may instead use the .value() member function which is defined to throw a RuntimeStatusError if there is no value.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-14 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe latest version of the library is 2.37.0-rc, and the document includes links to documentation for versions ranging from 2.37.0-rc down to 2.11.0.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThis library uses \u003ccode\u003eStatusOr\u003c/code\u003e to communicate the possibility of errors, instead of exceptions, which functions return when an error is possible.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eStatusOr<T>\u003c/code\u003e objects can be used similarly to smart pointers and must be checked for a valid value using methods like \u003ccode\u003e.ok()\u003c/code\u003e or \u003ccode\u003eoperator bool()\u003c/code\u003e before being dereferenced to access the contained value.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ccode\u003e.value()\u003c/code\u003e member function, when called on a \u003ccode\u003eStatusOr<T>\u003c/code\u003e that does not hold a value, will throw a \u003ccode\u003eRuntimeStatusError\u003c/code\u003e, or terminate the program if exceptions are disabled.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAsynchronous operations return \u003ccode\u003efuture<StatusOr<T>>\u003c/code\u003e, and the documentation also references \u003ccode\u003eStatus\u003c/code\u003e for error description.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,[]]
