Exception Handling in Java - How Can It Be Better Managed?
Exception Handling in Java refers to the unexpected or abnormal events that might crop up during the runtime. These could appear as file not found exceptions, connection not available, etc. during such circumstances Java usually signals an exception object. These are basically Java objects which are inescapable as far as projects are concerned. Thus, the exception handling is utilized to deal with the error conditions systematically while running a program by taking into account the required actions. Handling the errors is an integral part of writing the Java application. This programming language provides several features to meet this end. In fact, it allows the developers to create exceptions and use them by utilizing the throw keywords. This process is more than just about knowing the syntax.
Here are some of the ways in which the errors in Java can be handled better –
Choosing between checked and unchecked exceptions: This is important. For some programmers, this process might prove a little confusing. The checked exceptions make sure that codes for handling error codes are properly provided. In this regard, the language will itself enforce the programmers to write robust codes but at later stages it will clutter the codes and make them unreadable. It also seems more feasible to get hold of the errors and dos something about them if there are alternative or recovery strategies.
Closing Resources in Finally Block: This is another well known best practice when it comes to handling IO classes and networking. This particular practice guarantees that the scarce and precious resources released properly during aborted or normal execution. There is more number of options for managing resources, automatically or with the help of the ARM blocks. However, this feature is available with Java & onwards. In order to release the limited resources, including FileDescriptors, it is important to close the resources in a finally block.
Know the cause: It is more than often important to know what is causing the problems. There are times when one error overlaps with another error. Then it becomes absolutely important to find out the root cause for such trouble. The process of getCause() can help considerably in retrieving the root cause of exception. This will help the programmers immensely while dealing with debugging or troubleshooting.
Provide relevant messages: While pointing out the main cause of error, it is important to provide a relevant message on the Exception message. This is the first place where the programmers will seek while fixing the troubles. Therefore, it is vital and exact and factual pieces of information are provided here. In this regard, it is important to follow the Java best practices so that the programming language can be managed better.
Do not over use the Checked Exception: While they have their benefits, this feature should not be used excessively as these can litter the code. This leads to making them unreadable and obscuring the business logic. One can also reduce the multiple exceptions as well as the automatic resource management to do away with the duplication.
Avoid the use of empty catch blocks: Nothing can be worse than the empty catch block as they hide the errors. In addition, these can also leave the objects in a state of unused or corrupted. These can make sense only when the programmer is absolutely sure that the impending errors will not affect the state of the objects in any way. Therefore, it is better to log the errors that occur while executing the program. This is one of the most common practices that must be followed while dealing with Exception handling codes.
Using the Standard Exceptions: Create standard ones as they will provide better maintenance and consistency. The need to create a new exception every now and then will also come to an end. There are added benefits of reusing the standard exception as it makes the code more readable as well as the developers are also familiar with these.
These are some of the effective ways that can be employed to deal with the runtime errors in Java programming. To get maximum benefits of Java development, you may consider hiring services of a Java website development company.
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