> The main problem for me with those is that by the time you see the exception the state has already been destroyed. This is the problem with core dumps as well

> The main problem for me with those is that by the time you see the exception the state has already been destroyed. This is the problem with core dumps as well: all your files and network connections have been closed. The only alternative is to use a debugger which is a high overhead situation. This seems like two core issues with understanding the condition system. First, the currently popular exception systems always destroy the stack by unwinding it, allowing the programmer to debug only dead remains instead of a living program; second, debuggers are bolted on top of programs instead of being their internal parts, which gives many people an impression that using them as an integral part of the whole programming lifecycle is inconvenient and unnatural. The condition system in Common Lisp solves both of these issues, which IMO, paradoxically, contributes to it not being well understood outside Lisp circles.