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Exceptions in Java: What Is An Exception?

An exception is an unexpected event that disrupts normal program flow. There are two main types: errors indicate serious problems, while exceptions can be caught. All exceptions/errors extend Throwable. When an exception occurs, an Exception object is created and passed up the call stack. The runtime searches for a matching exception handler and passes the object to it. If none is found, the default handler prints the exception and terminates the program.

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74 views

Exceptions in Java: What Is An Exception?

An exception is an unexpected event that disrupts normal program flow. There are two main types: errors indicate serious problems, while exceptions can be caught. All exceptions/errors extend Throwable. When an exception occurs, an Exception object is created and passed up the call stack. The runtime searches for a matching exception handler and passes the object to it. If none is found, the default handler prints the exception and terminates the program.

Uploaded by

Probal Sil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exceptions in Java

What is an Exception?
An exception is an unwanted or unexpected event, which occurs during the execution of a program i.e at
run time, that disrupts the normal flow of the programs instructions.

Error vs Exception
Error: An Error indicates serious problem that a reasonable application should not try to catch.
Exception: Exception indicates conditions that a reasonable application might try to catch.
Exception Hierarchy
All exception and errors types are sub classes of class Throwable, which is base class of hierarchy.One
branch is headed by Exception. This class is used for exceptional conditions that user programs should
catch. NullPointerException is an example of such an exception.Another branch, Error are used by the
Java run-time system(JVM) to indicate errors having to do with the run-time environment itself(JRE).
StackOverflowError is an example of such an error.

For checked vs unchecked exception, see Checked vs Unchecked Exceptions


How JVM handle an Exception?
Default Exception Handling : Whenever inside a method, if an exception has occurred, the method
creates an Object known as Exception Object and hands it off to the run-time system(JVM). The exception
object contains name and description of the exception, and current state of the program where exception
has occurred. Creating the Exception Object and handling it to the run-time system is called throwing an
Exception.There might be the list of the methods that had been called to get to the method where exception
was occurred. This ordered list of the methods is called Call Stack.Now the following procedure will
happen.
The run-time system searches the call stack to find the method that contains block of code that can
handle the occurred exception. The block of the code is called Exception handler.
The run-time system starts searching from the method in which exception occurred, proceeds
through call stack in the reverse order in which methods were called.
If it finds appropriate handler then it passes the occurred exception to it. Appropriate handler means
the type of the exception object thrown matches the type of the exception object it can handle.
If run-time system searches all the methods on call stack and couldnt have found the appropriate
handler then run-time system handover the Exception Object to default exception handler ,
which is part of run-time system. This handler prints the exception information in the following format
and terminates program abnormally.

Exception in thread "xxx" Name of Exception : Description

... ...... .. // Call Stack

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