Finally will always be executed, so in this case, it is not its intended purpose, since normal execution would reopen the file a second time. What you intend to do would be achieved in the same (cleaner) way if you do
$s = "";
$c = MyClassForFileHandling::getInstance();
try
{
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch(FileNotFoundExeption $e)
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
$s = $c->get_file_content($path);
}
Then the manual says:
For the benefit of someone anyone who hasn't come across finally blocks before, the key difference between them and normal code following a try/catch block is that they will be executed even the try/catch block would return control to the calling function.
It might do this if:
- code if your try block contains an exception type that you don't catch
- you throw another exception in your catch block
- your try or catch block calls return
Finally would then be useful in this kind of scenario:
function my_get_file_content($path)
{
try
{
return $c->get_file_content($path);
}
catch(FileNotFoundExeption $e)
{
$c->create_file($path, "text for new file");
return $c->get_file_content($path);
}
finally
{
$c->close_file_handler();
}
}
=> if you need to make sure you close your file handler in this case, or some resource in general.