std::longjmp

Defined in header `<csetjmp>`
void longjmp( std::jmp_buf env, int status );		(until C++17)
[[noreturn]] void longjmp( std::jmp_buf env, int status );		(since C++17)

Loads the execution context env saved by a previous call to setjmp. This function does not return. Control is transferred to the call site of the macro setjmp that set up env. That setjmp then returns the value, passed as the status.

If the function that called setjmp has exited, the behavior is undefined (in other words, only long jumps up the call stack are allowed).

Extra restrictions in C++

On top of C longjmp, C++ std::longjmp has more restricted behavior.

If replacing std::longjmp with throw and setjmp with catch would invoke a non-trivial destructor for any automatic object, the behavior of such std::longjmp is undefined.

The behavior is undefined if std::longjmp is called in a coroutine in a place where the co_await operator may be used.

(since C++20)

Parameters

env	-	variable referring to the execution state of the program saved by `setjmp`
status	-	the value to return from `setjmp`. If it is equal to `0`, `1` is used instead

Return value

(none)

Notes

std::longjmp is the mechanism used in C to handle unexpected error conditions where the function cannot return meaningfully. C++ generally uses exception handling for this purpose.

Example

#include <array>
#include <cmath>
#include <csetjmp>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <format>
#include <iostream>
 
std::jmp_buf solver_error_handler;
 
std::array<double, 2> solve_quadratic_equation(double a, double b, double c)
{
    const double discriminant = b * b - 4.0 * a * c;
    if (discriminant < 0)
        std::longjmp(solver_error_handler, true); // Go to error handler
 
    const double delta = std::sqrt(discriminant) / (2.0 * a);
    const double argmin = -b / (2.0 * a);
    return {argmin - delta, argmin + delta};
}
 
void show_quadratic_equation_solution(double a, double b, double c)
{
    std::cout << std::format("Solving {}x² + {}x + {} = 0...\n", a, b, c);
    auto [x_0, x_1] = solve_quadratic_equation(a, b, c);
    std::cout << std::format("x₁ = {}, x₂ = {}\n\n", x_0, x_1);
}
 
int main()
{
    if (setjmp(solver_error_handler))
    {
        // Error handler for solver
        std::cout << "No real solution\n";
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
 
    for (auto [a, b, c] : {std::array{1, -3, 2}, {2, -3, -2}, {1, 2, 3}})
        show_quadratic_equation_solution(a, b, c);
 
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Output:

Solving 1x² + -3x + 2 = 0...
x₁ = 1, x₂ = 2
 
Solving 2x² + -3x + -2 = 0...
x₁ = -0.5, x₂ = 2
 
Solving 1x² + 2x + 3 = 0...
No real solution

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 619	C++98	the wording of the extra restrictions in C++ was vague	improved the wording
LWG 894	C++98	the behavior was undefined if replacing `std::longjmp` with throw and `setjmp` with catch would destroy any automatic object	the behavior is only undefined if a non-trivial destructor for any automatic object is invoked

setjmp	saves the context (function macro)
C documentation for `longjmp`