Set PDO to throw exceptions by default

Question

I always want PDO to throw exceptions if an error occurs, as I always use PDO like so:

try {
    $dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$kdbhost;dbname=$kdbname",$kdbuser,$kdbpw);
    $dbh->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    // some queries
}
catch (PDOException $e) {
    error_log('PDO Exception: '.$e->getMessage());
    die('PDO says no.');
}

It would be nice if there was a config file I could edit to make it so PDO throws exceptions by default - is this possible?

The reason I want this is so I don't have to write this line every time:

$dbh->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);

Update - I have since created a library which handles database access for me (including setting PDO to throw exceptions).

I don't think what you suggest is possible. So umm, if it's something you do often, why not create an object around the functionality or at least separate the functionality into a procedurally included file? — , Jan 24 '12 at 19:30
Actually, if you just need to catch PDO exceptions when the connection is established, you don't need to set the ATTR_ERRMODE attribute. PDO::__construct() will always throw a PDOException if the connection fails regardless of which PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE is currently set — rodrunner, Jan 12 '17 at 16:28
It's not necessary to set PDO, in order to get the error information (if exists) and avoid escape sequences or SQL Injection is adviced to use Prepared Statements, PDOStatement::errorInfo return the information you are looking for regardless ATT_ERRMODE. — , Nov 11 '17 at 18:32

score 55 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 29 '20 at 16:33

55

You can add the setAttribute function to the constructor:

$pdo = new PDO('mysql:host=localhost;dbname=someDatabase', 'username', 'password', array(
  PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION
));

But I cannot find a method to add it to the php.ini file or some other config file.

edited Nov 29 '20 at 16:33

ashleedawg

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answered Jan 24 '12 at 19:35

Wouter J

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score 27 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 17 '12 at 12:56

In extension to rdlowrey's comment, the easiest way would be:

class MyPDO extends PDO {

    public function __construct($dsn, $username = null, $password = null, array $driver_options = null) {
         parent :: __construct($dsn, $username, $password, $driver_options);
         $this->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    }

}

invocation then simply is a matter of

$dbh = new MyPDO("mysql:host=$kdbhost;dbname=$kdbname",$kdbuser,$kdbpw);

@zerkms I have no idea what I was thinking when wrote this comment. Thank you, deleting it. — Your Common Sense, Mar 24 '21 at 05:54

Set PDO to throw exceptions by default

2 Answers2

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