Bug #20026: Ruby doesn't throw a syntax error when rescuing with ||

• Status: Rejected
• Assignee: -
• Target version: -
• ruby -v: ruby 3.2.0 (2022-12-25 revision a528908271) [arm64-darwin23]
• Backport: 3.0: UNKNOWN, 3.1: UNKNOWN, 3.2: UNKNOWN

[arian (Arian Faurtosh)]

We had a coworker new to ruby try an interesting syntax for rescue that doesn't result in a syntax error, and works partially.

Why does ruby allow the logical OR || operator, is there a purpose for this? If not this feels like it should be a syntax error, instead of resulting in partially working code.

class FooError < StandardError; end
class BarError < StandardError; end

# works
begin
  raise FooError
rescue FooError || BarError => e
  puts "rescued #{e.class}"
end

# doesn't work
begin
  raise FooError
rescue FooError || BarError => e
  puts "rescued #{e.class}"
end

[arian (Arian Faurtosh)]

Actually I see what's going on here, this can be closed, not actually a ruby issue.

FooError || BarError is evaluating to FooError

[jeremyevans0 (Jeremy Evans)]

• Status changed from Open to Rejected

[nobu (Nobuyoshi Nakada)]

You may want to write:

begin
  raise FooError
rescue FooError, BarError => e
  puts "rescued #{e.class}"
end