Java catch multiple exceptions

Multi-catch block

A try block can be followed by one or more catch blocks. Each catch block must contain a different exception handler. So, if you have to perform different tasks at the occurrence of different exceptions, use java multi-catch block.

Points to remember

At a time only one exception occurs and at a time only one catch block is executed.
All catch blocks must be ordered from most specific to most general, i.e. catch for ArithmeticException must come before catch for Exception.

Example #1

Let's see a simple example of java multi-catch block.

snippet

public class MultipleCatchBlock1 {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		   try{  
			    int a[]=new int[5];  
			    a[5]=30/0;  
			   }  
			   catch(ArithmeticException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Arithmetic Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(Exception e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Parent Exception occurs");
				  }  		  
			   System.out.println("rest of the code");  
	}
}

Output

Arithmetic Exception occurs rest of the code

Example #2

snippet

public class MultipleCatchBlock2 {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		   try{  
			    int a[]=new int[5];  
			  
			    System.out.println(a[10]);
			   }  
			   catch(ArithmeticException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Arithmetic Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(Exception e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Parent Exception occurs");
				  }  		  
			   System.out.println("rest of the code");  
	}
}

Output

ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs rest of the code

Example #3

In this example, try block contains two exceptions. But at a time only one exception occurs and its corresponding catch block is invoked.

snippet

public class MultipleCatchBlock3 {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		   try{  
			    int a[]=new int[5];  
			    a[5]=30/0;  
			    System.out.println(a[10]);
			   }  
			   catch(ArithmeticException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Arithmetic Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(Exception e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Parent Exception occurs");
				  }  		  
			   System.out.println("rest of the code");  
	}
}

Output

Arithmetic Exception occurs rest of the code

Example #4

In this example, we generate NullPointerException, but didn't provide the corresponding exception type. In such case, the catch block containing the parent exception class Exception will invoked.

snippet

public class MultipleCatchBlock4 {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		
		   try{  
			    String s=null;
			    System.out.println(s.length());
			   }  
			   catch(ArithmeticException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Arithmetic Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("ArrayIndexOutOfBounds Exception occurs");
				  }  
			   catch(Exception e)
		          {
				   System.out.println("Parent Exception occurs");
				  }  		  
			   System.out.println("rest of the code");  
	}
}

Output

Parent Exception occurs rest of the code

Example #5

Let's see an example, to handle the exception without maintaining the order of exceptions (i.e. from most specific to most general).

snippet

class MultipleCatchBlock5{  
  public static void main(String args[]){  
   try{  
    int a[]=new int[5];  
    a[5]=30/0;  
   }  
   catch(Exception e){System.out.println("common task completed");}  
   catch(ArithmeticException e){System.out.println("task1 is completed");}  
   catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){System.out.println("task 2 completed");}  
   System.out.println("rest of the code...");  
 }  
}

Output

Compile-time error