Java Exception Handling

Based on Java 7.

Exception handling is an aspect of Java development that has not received as much attention as
it deserves. If you do not have exception handling under control, you risk that your application
or data ends up in an unhealthy state, which can have serious consequences. Therefore,
knowing how to implement proper exception handling is a must for every Java developer. This book
is a good step on the road to learning that, although any developer should keep learning more
throughout their whole career.

I have tried to make this book as concise as possible. However, some explanations are maybe longer than what a developer with 10 years of experience needs, in order to make sure that developers with 2 years of experience understand them. Having said that, all suggestions for improvement are appreciated. My email address is in the book.

This book contains 4 parts. Part 1 describes the basic exception handling mechanisms provided
by the Java language. Part 2 lists the requirements for exception handling at the application
level. Part 3 explores how to implement exception handling in applications to meet the
requirements set forth in part 2. Part 4 goes into more detail about what diagnostic information
your applications should gather and include when throwing and logging exceptions.



The book is intended for Java developers with 2 or more years of experience in Java development.
It is not a beginner book.



Table of Contents



Part 1: Basic Java Exception Handling Techniques
- What are Exceptions?
- Try Catch Finally
- Try-with-resources
- Catching Multiple Exceptions
- The Call Stack
- The Execution Path
- Throwing Exceptions
- Propagating Exceptions
- Exception Hierarchies
- Custom Exceptions
- The Exception Class
- Exception Handling Templates
- Checked vs. Unchecked Exceptions

Part 2: Requirements for Application Exception Handling
- Application States
- Application Request Processing
- Application Health
- Requirements for Application Exception Handling
- Application Survival
- Notifying Relevant Parties
- Diagnostics

Part 3: Implementing Application Exception Handling
- Implementation Overview
- Error Detection
- Local Exception Handling
- Error Information Gathering
- Exception Class Design
- Throwing Exceptions in Applications
- Propagating Exceptions in Applications
- Catching and Handling Exceptions in Applications

Part 4: Diagnostic Information
- Error ID and Description
- Error Severity
- Error Origin and Reactions
- Error Reclassification
- Request ID
- Cross Process Exception Handling
- Execution Context
- API Exception Handling