What is the difference between assertions and exception handling in programming?

What is the difference between assertions and exception handling in programming?

Assertions are used to check for conditions that should never happen in your code, while exception handling is used to manage errors that can occur during execution.

Can you give me an example of when to use an assertion?

Sure! You might use an assertion to check that a variable is not null before proceeding with a calculation.

And what about exception handling? When should I use that?

You should use exception handling when you anticipate that an error might occur, such as when reading a file that may not exist.

Are there any performance implications of using assertions?

Yes, assertions can be disabled in production code, which can improve performance, but they should not replace proper error handling.