What is the difference between error flags and exceptions?

While both error flags and exceptions are used to signal problems in an application, they serve different purposes. Exceptions are typically handled by the application's error handling mechanism, often leading to application termination or specific error messages. Error flags, on the other hand, are designed for monitoring and analysis, providing aggregated error data without necessarily halting application operation. Exceptions are more focused on immediate error recovery, while error flags are focused on long-term trend analysis.