TIL: Avoid bare except in Python

Today I learned (the hard way, via CI failure) that bare except: clauses in Python are a code smell that linters like Ruff flag as E722.

#The problem

try:
    something_risky()
except:  # Bad!
    pass

This catches everything, including KeyboardInterrupt and SystemExit, which can make your program impossible to interrupt.

#The fix

Be specific about what you're catching:

try:
    something_risky()
except Exception:  # Better
    pass
 
# Or even better, catch specific exceptions:
except (ValueError, TypeError):
    handle_error()

#Why it matters

• KeyboardInterrupt (Ctrl+C) shouldn't be silently swallowed
• SystemExit should be allowed to propagate
• Being specific makes your intent clear

The CI caught this in dashboard sync scripts. Quick sed fix, lesson learned.