University of Hail
College of Computer Science and Engineering
Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering
ICS201
Exception Handling
Slides prepared by Rose Williams, Binghamton University
What is an Exception?

Indication of problem during execution
Examples
– Divide by zero errors
– Accessing the elements of an array outside its range
– Invalid input
– Opening a non-existent file
–…
Exceptions– a better error handling

Exceptions act similar to method return
flags in that encounter an error.

Exceptions act like global error methods
in that the exception mechanism is built
into Java
Exception Handling in Java
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Exception Example
class DivByZero {
public static void main(String args[]) {
System.out.println(3/0);
System.out.println(" Pls. print me. ");
}
}
Displays this error message
Exception in thread "main"
java.lang.ArithmeticException: / by zero
at DivByZero.main(DivByZero.java:3)
Causes the program to terminate
Another Example
public class ExceptionExample {
public static void main(String args[]) {
String[] greek = {"Alpha","Beta"};
System.out.println(greek[2]);
}
}
Output:
Exception in thread "main"
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at
ExceptionExample.main(ExceptionExample.java:4)
Coding Exceptions
To handle the exception, you write a “try-catch”
block.
try {
… normal program code
}
catch(Exception e) {
… exception handling code
}
It prevents the program from automatically terminating
Exception Handling in Java
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Example
Output:
Division by zero.
After catch statement.
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public class ExceptionExample {
public static void main(String args[]) {
try{
String[] greek = {"Alpha","Beta"};
System.out.println(greek[2]);
}
catch(Exception e)
{
System.out.print ("Index of array out of range");
}
}
}
Catching Multiple Exceptions

Handle multiple possible exceptions by
multiple successive catch blocks
try {
// code that might throw multiple exception
}
catch (IOException e) {
// handle IOException and all subclasses
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e2) {
// handle ClassNotFoundException
}
Exception Handler
Exception
"thrown" here
Thrown exception matched against
first set of exception handlers
Exception
handler
Exception
handler
If it fails to match, it is matched
against next set of handlers, etc.
If exception matches none of
handlers, program is discarded
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Exception Classes
There are two kinds of
exceptions in Java
Predefined exception
classes in the Java libraries
New exception classes can be
defined like any other class
Exception Classes from Standard Packages

Predefined exception classes are included in the standard
packages that come with Java
◦ For example:
IOException
NoSuchMethodException
FileNotFoundException
◦ Many exception classes must be imported in order to use them
import java.io.IOException;

All predefined exception classes have the following properties:
◦ There is a constructor that takes a single argument of type String
◦ The class has an accessor method getMessage that can recover
the string given as an argument to the constructor when the
exception object was created.
Exception Classes from Standard Packages

The predefined exception class Exception is
the root class for all exceptions
◦ Every exception class is a derived class of the class
Exception
◦ Although the Exception class can be used directly in
a class or program, it is most often used to define a
derived class
◦ The class Exception is in the java.lang package,
and so requires no import statement
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A Programmer-Defined Exception Class
Types of error:
1.
Syntax errors: the rules of the language have
not been followed (detected by the compiler).
2.
Runtime errors occur while the program is
running
(detects
an
operation
that
is
impossible to carry out).
3.
Logic errors occur when a program doesn't
perform the way it was intended to.
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Runtime Errors
import java.util.Scanner;
If an exception occurs on this
line, the rest of the lines in the
method are skipped and the
program is terminated.
Terminated.
public class ExceptionDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.print("Enter an integer: ");
int number = scanner.nextInt();
// Display the result
System.out.println(
"The number entered is " + number);
}
}
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Catch Runtime Errors
import java.util.*;
public class HandleExceptionDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
boolean continueInput = true;
do {
try {
System.out.print("Enter an integer: ");
int number = scanner.nextInt();
If an exception occurs on this line,
the rest of lines in the try block are
skipped and the control is
transferred to the catch block.
// Display the result
System.out.println(
"The number entered is " + number);
continueInput = false;
}
catch (InputMismatchException e)
System.out.println("Try again.
"Incorrect input: an integer
scanner.nextLine(); // discard
}
} while (continueInput);
}
{
(" +
is required)");
input
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Throwing Exceptions
When the program detects an error, the
program can create an instance of an
exception type and throw it. This is known as
throwing an exception.
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Using the throws Clause
 Appears
after method’s parameter list and before
the method’s body
 Contains a comma-separated list of exceptions
 Exceptions can be thrown by statements in
method’s body of by methods called in method’s
body
 Exceptions can be of types listed in throws clause
or subclasses
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Declaring, Throwing, and Catching Exceptions
declare exception
method1() {
method2() throws Exception {
try {
invoke method2;
}
catch (Exception ex) {
Process exception;
}
catch exception
if (an error occurs) {
throw new Exception();
}
throw exception
}
}
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Declaring Exceptions
Every method state the types of checked
exceptions it might throw.
public void myMethod()
throws IOException
public void myMethod()
throws IOException, OtherException
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Throwing Exceptions Example
/** Set a new radius */
public void setRadius(double newRadius)
throws IllegalArgumentException {
if (newRadius >= 0)
radius = newRadius;
else
throw new IllegalArgumentException(
"Radius cannot be negative");
}
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Sequence of Events for throw
Preceding step
try block
throw
statement
unmatched catch
matching catch
unmatched catch
next step
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Sequence of Events for No throw
Preceding step
try block
throw
statement
unmatched catch
matching catch
unmatched catch
next step
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// Fig. 13.2: DivideByZeroWithExceptionHandling.java
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// An exception-handling example that checks for divide-by-zero.
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import java.util.InputMismatchException;
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5
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import java.util.Scanner;
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{
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public class DivideByZeroWithExceptionHandling
// demonstrates throwing an exception when a divide-by-zero occurs
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public static int quotient( int numerator, int denominator )
throws ArithmeticException
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13
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{
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public static void main( String args[] )
{
Scanner scanner = new Scanner( System.in ); // scanner for input
boolean continueLoop = true; // determines if more input is needed
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return numerator / denominator; // possible division by zero
} // end method quotient
throws clause specifies that
method quotient may
throw an
ArithmeticException
Repetition statement loops until
try block completes
successfully
do
{
try // read two numbers and calculate quotient
try block attempts to read
input and perform division
{
System.out.print( "Please enter an integer numerator: " );
int numerator = scanner.nextInt();
Retrieve input;
InputMismatchExcept
ion thrown if input not valid
integers
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System.out.print( "Please enter an integer denominator: " );
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int denominator = scanner.nextInt();
int result = quotient( numerator, denominator );
System.out.printf( "\nResult: %d / %d = %d\n", numerator,
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32
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37
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Call method quotient,
continueLoop = false; // input successful; end looping
which may throw
If we have reached this point,
} // end try
ArithmeticException
input
was valid and
catch ( InputMismatchException
inputMismatchException
)
{
denominator was non-zero,
System.err.printf( "\nException: %s\n", Catching InputMismatchException
so looping can stop
inputMismatchException );
(user has entered non-integer input)
scanner.nextLine(); // discard input so user can try again
Exception parameters
System.out.println(
Read
input
"You must enter integers. Please
tryinvalid
again.\n"
); but do nothing with
} // end catch
it
denominator, result );
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catch ( ArithmeticException arithmeticException )
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{
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48
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Notify
user of error
Catching
ArithmeticException
madezero for denominator)
(user has entered
Please try again.\n" );
System.err.printf( "\nException: %s\n", arithmeticException );
System.out.println(
"Zero is an invalid denominator.
} // end catch
} while ( continueLoop ); // end do...while
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} // end main
50 } // end class DivideByZeroWithExceptionHandling
If line 32 was never successfully reached,
loop continues and user can try again
The finally Clause
try {
statements;
}
catch(TheException ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
This block contains code that is ALWAYS executed,
either after the “try” block code, or after the “catch”
block code.
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Sequence of Events for finally clause
Preceding step
try block
throw
statement
unmatched catch
matching catch
unmatched catch
finally
next step
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statements;
}
catch(TheException ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
Suppose no exceptions
in the statements
Next statement;
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statements;
}
catch(TheException ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
The final block is
always executed
Next statement;
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statements;
}
catch(TheException ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
Next statement in the
method is executed
Next statement;
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statement1;
statement2;
statement3;
}
catch(Exception1 ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
Suppose an exception of
type Exception1 is
thrown in statement2
Next statement;
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statement1;
statement2;
statement3;
}
catch(Exception1 ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
The exception is
handled.
Next statement;
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Trace a Program Execution
try {
statement1;
statement2;
statement3;
}
catch(Exception1 ex) {
handling ex;
}
finally {
finalStatements;
}
The final block is
always
executed.
Next statement;
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