diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d7d6930..df04aab 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+/.vs/
 /build/
 /prefix/
 /linux-build/
diff --git a/include/ifc/abstract-sgraph.hxx b/include/ifc/abstract-sgraph.hxx
index 5a1e15b..52296b6 100644
--- a/include/ifc/abstract-sgraph.hxx
+++ b/include/ifc/abstract-sgraph.hxx
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 #include <concepts>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <type_traits>
+#include <array>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #include <ifc/underlying.hxx>
 #include <ifc/basic-types.hxx>
@@ -3544,7 +3546,20 @@ namespace ifc {
 
     // -- exception type in case of an invalid partition name
     struct InvalidPartitionName {
-        std::string_view name;
+        explicit InvalidPartitionName(std::string_view partition_name)
+        {
+            partition_name = partition_name.substr(0, partition_name_buffer.size() - 1);
+            std::copy(partition_name.begin(), partition_name.end(), partition_name_buffer.begin());
+            partition_name_buffer[partition_name.length()] = 0;
+        }
+
+        const char* partition_name() const noexcept
+        {
+            return partition_name_buffer.data();
+        }
+
+    private:
+        std::array<char, 64> partition_name_buffer;
     };
 
     // Retrieve a partition summary based on the partition's name.
diff --git a/src/ifc-printer/main.cxx b/src/ifc-printer/main.cxx
index 270ebdb..f8a644c 100644
--- a/src/ifc-printer/main.cxx
+++ b/src/ifc-printer/main.cxx
@@ -18,14 +18,18 @@ void translate_exception()
     {
         std::cerr << "ifc architecture mismatch\n";
     }
-    catch(ifc::error_condition::UnexpectedVisitor& e)
+    catch (const ifc::InvalidPartitionName& e)
+    {
+        std::cerr << "invalid partition name: " << e.partition_name() << '\n';
+    }
+    catch (ifc::error_condition::UnexpectedVisitor& e)
     {
         std::cerr << "visit unexpected " << e.category << ": " 
                   << e.sort << '\n';
     }
-    catch (const char* message)
+    catch (const std::exception& e)
     {
-        std::cerr << "caught: " << message;
+        std::cerr << "caught std exception: " << e.what();
     }
     catch (...)
     {
diff --git a/src/ifc-reader/reader.cxx b/src/ifc-reader/reader.cxx
index 96e7bfb..ff936af 100644
--- a/src/ifc-reader/reader.cxx
+++ b/src/ifc-reader/reader.cxx
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ namespace ifc {
 
     Reader::Reader(const ifc::InputIfc& ifc_) : ifc(ifc_)
     {
-        if (not ifc.header())
-            throw "file not found";
+        IFCASSERT(ifc.header());
         read_table_of_contents();
     }