Rarely known C++ constructs (part 1): Function try blocks

C++ has some language constructs that are rarely seen in use. These constructs have their own, valid uses, but should be used sparingly. As the now adage-status quote from The Old New Thing says:

Code is read much more often than it is written, so plan accordingly

In this series we will take a look at different instances of unusual C++ language constructs, shortly explaining their use-cases, syntax and pitfalls.

UPDATE: the series was moved to Dr. Dobbs! The rewritten, expanded first part is available here.