The catch clause of try statements used to require a binding:

try {
  doSomethingThatMightThrow();
} catch (exception) {
  //     ^^^^^^^^^
  // We must name the binding, even if we don’t use it!
  handleException();
}

In ES2019, catch can now be used without a binding. This is useful if you don’t have a need for the exception object in the code that handles the exception.

try {
  doSomethingThatMightThrow();
} catch { // → No binding!
  handleException();
}

Optional catch binding support #

• Chrome: supported since version 66
• Firefox: supported since version 58
• Safari: supported
• Node.js: supported since version 10
• Babel: supported