10: Error Handling with Exceptions Basic exceptions –Exception arguments Catching an exception –The try block –Exception handlers Creating your own exceptions The exception specification –Catching any exception –Rethrowing an exception Standard Java exceptions –The special case of RuntimeException Performing cleanup with finally –What’s finally for? –Pitfall: the lost exception Exception restrictions Constructors Exception matching –Exception guidelines Exercises

Basic exceptions Errors always occur in software programs. What really matters is: –How is the error handled? –Who handles it? –Can the program recover, or just print error messages and exit? The ideal time to catch an error is at compile-time, before you run the program. –However, not all errors can be detected at compile-time. In C and other earlier languages, you returned a special value or set a flag, and the recipient was supposed to look at the value or the flag to determine if something was wrong. –However, as the years passed, it was discovered that programmers who use a library tend to think of themselves as invincible. The Java programming language uses exceptions for error handling.

int readFile { initialize errorCode = 0; open the file; if (theFileIsOpen) { determine the length of the file; if (gotTheFileLength) { allocate that much memory; if (gotEnoughMemory) { read the file into memory; if (readFailed) { errorCode = -1; } } else { errorCode = -2; } } else { errorCode = -3; } close the file; if (theFileDidntClose && errorCode == 0) { errorCode = -4; } else { errorCode = errorCode and -4; } } else { errorCode = -5; } return errorCode; }

void readFile() { try { open the file; determine its size; allocate that much memory; read the file into memory; close the file; } catch (fileOpenFailed) { doSomething; } catch (sizeDeterminationFailed) { doSomething; } catch (memoryAllocationFailed) { doSomething; } catch (readFailed) { doSomething; } catch (fileCloseFailed) { doSomething; } //Processing flow is straight forward. //Error will not be neglected.

What's an Exception The term exception is shorthand for the phrase "exceptional event." –Definition: An exception is an event that occurs during the execution of a program that disrupts the normal flow of instructions. How to distinguish an exceptional condition from a normal problem: –Normal problem : when you have enough information in the current context to somehow cope with the difficulty. –Exceptional condition: you cannot continue processing because you don’t have the information necessary to deal with the problem in the current context. – All you can do is jump out of the current context and relegate that problem to a higher context. This is what happens when you throw an exception. A simple example is a divide. If you ’ re about to divide by zero, it ’ s worth checking to make sure you don ’ t go ahead and perform the divide. But what does it mean that the denominator is zero?

Catching an exception When does an exception occur? –When you throw an exception –Or another method you call throws an exception If you ’ re inside a method and an exception occurs, that method will exit in the process of throwing. If you don ’ t want to exit the method, you can set up a special block to capture the exception. This is called the try block.

Catching an exception try { // Code that might generate exceptions } catch(Type1 id1) { // Handle exceptions of Type1 } catch(Type2 id2) { // Handle exceptions of Type2 } catch(Type3 id3) { // Handle exceptions of Type3 } // etc... The handlers must appear directly after the try block. If an exception is thrown, the exception handling mechanism goes hunting for the first handler that matches the type of the exception. –Then it enters that catch clause, and the exception is considered handled. –The search for handlers stops once the catch clause is finished.

public class Equalsmethod { public static void main(String[] args){ double[] d=new double[10]; System.out.println(d[10]); Double[] D=new Double[10]; System.out.println("Program continue..." ); } } C:\Java\jdk1.5.0>bin\java Equalsmethod Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 10 at Equalsmethod.main(Equalsmethod.java:8)

Try{ xxxxx if(…)throw xxx or calls a method in which throws xxxxx }catch(…){ yyy } zzz

public class Equalsmethod{ public static void main(String[] args){ double[] d=new double[10]; try{ System.out.println(d[10]); }catch(Exception e){ System.out.println("I caught it!"); } Double[] D=new Double[10]; System.out.println("Program continue..." ); } } C:\Java\jdk1.5.0>bin\java Equalsmethod I caught it! Program continue...

Throw an Exception There are two constructors in all standard exceptions: –the first is the default constructor, –and the second takes a string argument so you can place pertinent information in the exception: if(t == null) throw new NullPointerException(); if(t == null) throw new NullPointerException("t = null");

class SimpleException extends Exception {} public class SimpleExceptionDemo { public void f() throws SimpleException { System.out.println( "Throwing SimpleException from f()"); throw new SimpleException (); } public static void main(String[] args) { SimpleExceptionDemo sed = new SimpleExceptionDemo(); try { sed.f(); } catch(SimpleException e) { System.err.println("Caught it!"); } } } ///:~ Throw SimpleException from f() Caught it! Creating your own exceptions

The exception specification In Java, you ’ re required to inform the client programmer, who calls your method, of the exceptions that might be thrown from your method. The exception specification uses an additional keyword, throws, followed by a list of all the potential exception types. void f() throws TooBig, TooSmall, DivZero { //... If you say void f() { //... it means that no exceptions are thrown from the method. –(Except for the exceptions of type RuntimeException, –which can reasonably be thrown anywhere — this will be described later.)

Catching any exception By catching the base-class exception type Exception, it is possible to create a handler that catches any type of exception. catch(Exception e) { System.err.println("Caught an exception"); } This will catch any exception, you should put it at the end of your list of handlers to avoid preempting any exception handlers that might otherwise follow it.

Methods of Exception Methods of Exception (In fact come from its base type Throwable ) String getMessage( ) -----detail message String getLocalizedMessage( ) -----detail message String toString( ) short description + detail message void printStackTrace( ) void printStackTrace(PrintStream) void printStackTrace(PrintWriter)

public class ExceptionMethods { public static void main(String[] args) { try { throw new Exception( "Here's my Exception"); } catch(Exception e) { System.err.println("Caught Exception"); System.err.println( "e.getMessage(): " + e.getMessage()); System.err.println( "e.getLocalizedMessage(): " + e.getLocalizedMessage()); System.err.println("e.toString(): " + e); System.err.println("e.printStackTrace():"); e.printStackTrace(System.err); } } ///:~ Caught Exception e.getMessage(): Here's my Exception e.getLocalizedMessage(): Here's my Exception e.toString(): java.lang.Exception: Here's my Exception e.printStackTrace(): java.lang.Exception: Here's my Exception at ExceptionMethods.main(Exception Methods.java:7)

class TooBig extends Exception {} class TooSmall extends Exception {} class DivZero extends Exception {} public class MyDivide { double div(double a, double b) throws TooBig, TooSmall, DivZero { double ret; if ( b==0.0) throw new DivZero(); ret = a/b; if(ret < 0.001) throw new TooSmall (); if(ret >1000) throw new TooBig (); return ret; } } ///:~

Standard Java exceptions The Java class Throwable describes anything that can be thrown as an exception.

The special case of RuntimeException ArithmeticException, ClassCastException, llegalArgumentException, IllegalStateException, IndexOutOfBoundsException, NoSuchElementException, NullPointerException, １） Java will automatically throw a NullPointerException. if(t == null) throw new NullPointerException(); else t.somefunc(); the above bit of code equals to: t.somefunc();

The special case of RuntimeException ２） You never need to write an exception specification saying that a method might throw a RuntimeException, since that ’ s just assumed. Because they indicate bugs, you virtually never catch a RuntimeException ３） Since the compiler doesn ’ t enforce exception specifications for these, it ’ s quite plausible that a RuntimeException could percolate all the way out to your main( ) method without being caught.

The special case of RuntimeException public class NeverCaught { static void f() { throw new RuntimeException("From f()"); } static void g() { f(); } public static void main(String[] args) { g(); } } ///:~ The output is: Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: From f() at NeverCaught.f(NeverCaught.java:9) at NeverCaught.g(NeverCaught.java:12) at NeverCaught.main(NeverCaught.java:15) So the answer is: If a RuntimeException gets all the way out to main( ) without being caught, printStackTrace( ) is called for that exception as the program exits.

Performing cleanup with finally There ’ s often some piece of code that you want to execute whether or not an exception is thrown within a try block. try { // The guarded region: Dangerous activities // that might throw A, B, or C } catch(A a1) { // Handler for situation A } catch(B b1) { // Handler for situation B } catch(C c1) { // Handler for situation C } finally { // Activities that happen every time }

Try{ xxxxx if(…)throw xxx or calls a method in which throws xxxxx }catch(…){ yyy }finally{ zzz }

Performing cleanup with finally class ThreeException extends Exception {} public class FinallyWorks { static int count = 0; public static void main(String[] args) { while(true) { try { // Post-increment is zero first time: if(count++ == 0) throw new ThreeException(); System.out.println("No exception"); } catch(ThreeException e) { System.err.println("ThreeException"); } finally { System.err.println("In finally clause"); if(count == 2) break; // out of "while" } } } } ///:~ ThreeException In finally clause No exception In finally clause

Exception restrictions When you override a method, you can throw only the exceptions that have been specified in the base- class version of the method. –This is a useful restriction, since it means that code that works with the base class will automatically work with any object derived from the base class, including exceptions. The exception specifications are not part of the type of a method, Therefore, you cannot overload methods based on exception specifications. An exception specification exists in a base-class version of a method doesn ’ t mean that it must exist in the derived-class version of the method. –this is precisely the opposite of the rule for the class interface during inheritance.

Exception restrictions The restriction on exceptions does not apply to constructors. –The constructor of a subclass can throw anything it wants, regardless of what the base-class constructor throws. Note that a derived-class constructor cannot catch exceptions thrown by its base-class constructor. –Since a base-class constructor must always be called one way or another, the derived-class constructor must declare any base-class constructor exceptions in its exception specification.

class BaseballException extends Exception {} class Foul extends BaseballException {} class Strike extends BaseballException {} abstract class Inning { Inning() throws BaseballException {} void event () throws BaseballException { // Doesn't actually have to throw anything } abstract void atBat() throws Strike, Foul; void walk() {} // Throws nothing } class StormException extends Exception {} class RainedOut extends StormException {} class PopFoul extends Foul {} interface Storm { void event() throws RainedOut; void rainHard() throws RainedOut; }

class BaseballException extends Exception {} class Foul extends BaseballException {} class Strike extends BaseballException {} abstract class Inning { Inning() throws BaseballException {} void event () throws BaseballException { // Doesn't actually have to throw anything } abstract void atBat() throws Strike, Foul; void walk() {} // Throws nothing } class StormException extends Exception {} class RainedOut extends StormException {} class PopFoul extends Foul {} interface Storm { void event() throws RainedOut; void rainHard() throws RainedOut; } public class StormyInning extends Inning implements Storm { // OK to add new exceptions for // constructors, but you must deal // with the base constructor exceptions: StormyInning() throws RainedOut, BaseballException {} StormyInning(String s) throws Foul, BaseballException {} // Regular methods must conform to base class: //Compile error //! void walk() throws PopFoul {} // Interface CANNOT add exceptions to existing // methods from the base class: //void event () throws BaseballException {} //! public void event() throws RainedOut {} // If the method doesn't already exist in the // base class, the exception is OK: public void rainHard() throws RainedOut {} // You can choose to not throw any exceptions, // even if base version does: public void event() {}

// Strike not thrown in derived version. try { // What happens if you upcast? Inning i = new StormyInning(); i.atBat(); // You must catch the exceptions from the // base-class version of the method: } catch(Strike e) { System.err.println("Strike"); } catch(Foul e) { System.err.println("Foul"); } catch(RainedOut e) { System.err.println("Rained out"); } catch(BaseballException e) { System.err.println( "Generic baseball exception"); } } } ///:~ // Overridden methods can throw // inherited exceptions: void atBat() throws PopFoul {} public static void main(String[] args) { try { StormyInning si = new StormyInning(); si.atBat(); } catch(PopFoul e) { System.err.println("Pop foul"); } catch(RainedOut e) { System.err.println("Rained out"); } catch(BaseballException e) { System.err.println("Generic error"); }

Exception matching(1) class Annoyance extends Exception {} class Sneeze extends Annoyance {} public class Human { public static void main(String[] args) { try { if(…) throw new Sneeze(); else throw new Annoyance (); } catch(Sneeze s) { System.err.println("Caught Sneeze"); } catch(Annoyance a) { System.err.println("Caught Annoyance"); } } ///:~

Exception matching(2) class Annoyance extends Exception {} class Sneeze extends Annoyance {} public class Human { public static void main(String[] args) { try { if(…) throw new Sneeze(); else throw new Annoyance (); } catch(Annoyance a) { System.err.println("Caught Annoyance"); } catch(Sneeze s) { System.err.println("Caught Sneeze"); } } ///:~

Exercises 6. Create three new types of exceptions. Write a class with a method that throws all three(using method Math.random()*3 and switch statement ). In main( ), call the method but only use a single catch clause that will catch all three types of exceptions. 8. Write code (without throw statement) to generate different RuntimeExceptions including ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException, NullPointerException, ClassCastException etc., and only catch some of them, adding a finally block to show that the code in finally block will be executed even exception is not caught.