Multiple catch
- Java course
- Beginner
- Lesson 110/116
- 5 min
Learn multiple catch blocks.
Multiple catch blocks
A single try can be followed by multiple catch blocks. Each catches a different exception type. Order matters: specific types come first, general types later.
try {
int n = Integer.parseInt(s);
int r = 10 / n;
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
System.out.println("Sayı değil");
} catch (ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Sıfıra bölme");
}If you put a general type first, the specific ones become unreachable and you get a compile error. So you must place general types like Exception last. Each catch is independent; only one runs.
Multi-catch
Since Java 7 you can catch multiple types in a single catch. Types are separated by |; this is called multi-catch.
try {
int n = Integer.parseInt(s);
} catch (NumberFormatException | ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Hata");
}Multi-catch avoids code duplication for different types that need the same handling. However, the types separated by | cannot be related by inheritance; they must be siblings. The e variable is implicitly final; it cannot be modified inside.
Practice Catch two types with separate catch
Define String s = "abc";. Inside try write Integer.parseInt(s) and int r = 10 / n;. The first catch catches NumberFormatException and prints Sayı değil; the second catches ArithmeticException and prints Sıfıra bölme.
Starter code
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String s = "abc";
// attempt parseInt and division, catch with two separate catch blocks
}
}Sample solution
try {
int n = Integer.parseInt(s);
int r = 10 / n;
System.out.println(r);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
System.out.println("Sayı değil");
} catch (ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Sıfıra bölme");
}Expected output
Sayı değil
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 Add the second catch
try {
int n = Integer.parseInt(s);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
System.out.println("Sayı değil");
} ____ (ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Sıfıra bölme");
}try {
int n = Integer.parseInt(s);
} catch (NumberFormatException e) {
System.out.println("Sayı değil");
} catch (ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Sıfıra bölme");
}Explanation: the second catch catches a different specific type.
2 How should multiple catch blocks be ordered?
- General first, then specific
- Specific first, then general Correct answer
- Only one catch is allowed
- Order does not matter
Explanation: specific types come first; general types go last, otherwise a compile error occurs.
3 Match each scenario to its catch type
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
parseInt fails |
NumberFormatException |
division by zero |
ArithmeticException |
null object |
NullPointerException |
out of bounds |
ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException |