1. Catch Specific Exceptions
Always catch the most specific exception first. This helps in identifying the exact issue and handling it appropriately.
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
// Handle FileNotFoundException
} catch (IOException e) {
// Handle other IOExceptions
}
2. Avoid Empty Catch Blocks
Empty catch blocks can hide errors and make debugging difficult. Always log the exception or take some action.
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace(); // Log the exception
}
3. Use Finally Block for Cleanup
The finally block is used to execute important code such as closing resources, regardless of whether an exception is thrown or not.
BufferedReader reader = null;
try {
reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("file.txt"));
// Read file
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
if (reader != null) {
try {
reader.close();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
4. Don’t Catch Throwable
Avoid catching Throwable as it includes errors that are not meant to be caught, such as OutOfMemoryError.
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace(); // Catch only exceptions
}
5. Log Exceptions Properly
Use a logging framework like Log4j or SLF4J to log exceptions instead of using System.out.println.
private static final Logger logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(MyClass.class);
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (IOException e) {
logger.error("An error occurred", e);
}
6. Rethrow Exceptions if Necessary
Sometimes, it’s better to rethrow the exception after logging it or performing some action.
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (IOException e) {
logger.error("An error occurred", e);
throw e; // Rethrow the exception
}
7. Use Multi-Catch Blocks
In Java 7 and later, you can catch multiple exceptions in a single catch block.
try {
// Code that may throw an exception
} catch (IOException | SQLException e) {
e.printStackTrace(); // Handle both IOException and SQLException
}
8. Avoid Overusing Exceptions for Control Flow
Exceptions should not be used for regular control flow. They are meant for exceptional conditions.
// Avoid this
try {
int value = Integer.parseInt("abc");
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
// Handle exception
}
// Prefer this
if (isNumeric("abc")) {
int value = Integer.parseInt("abc");
}
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