Being Code Expert: Java catch Multiple Exceptions

Handle Multiple Exceptions in a catch Block

If you are catching a lot of exceptions in a single try block, you will notice that the catch block code looks very ugly and mostly consists of redundant code to log the error, keeping this in mind Java 7 one of the features was the multi-catch block where we can catch multiple exceptions in a single catch block.

Each exception type that can be handled by the catch block is separated using a vertical bar or pipe |.

Example 1:

Java

public class MutipleExceptionSingleCatch {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            int array[] = new int[5];
            array[5] = 5 / 0;
        } catch (ArithmeticException | ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Output

/ by zero

Example 2:

Java

In the below code we are trying to catch the exception with the parent so it will give to compiler an exception

public class MutipleExceptionSingleCatch {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            int array[] = new int[5];
            array[5] = 5 / 0;
        } catch (ArithmeticException | Exception e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

In this example, ArithmeticException is a subclass of the Exception class. So, we get a compilation error.

Multiple catch blocks

Example 1: When matches any exceptions

Java

public class MutipleExceptionSingleCatch {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            int array[] = new int[5];
            array[5] = 5 / 0;
        } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        } catch (ArithmeticException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Output

/ by zero

Example 2: When no exception matches then catch the base exception.

Java


import java.io.File;

public class MutipleExceptionSingleCatch {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        @SuppressWarnings("unused")
        File file = null;
        try {
            String pathname = null;
            file = new File(pathname);
        } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        } catch (ArithmeticException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getMessage());
        } catch (Exception e) {

            System.out.println("Base Exception");
        }
    }
}