Throwable and Error Classes

[victor kamat]

public class Box
{
public void doIt() { throw new Throwable(); }
}

The above code does not compile. However if Throwable is replaced by Error it compiles fine.

I find this strange because Error descends from Throwable. So I would have expected the code not to compile if Error replaced Throwable in the above code.

Does anybody have any explanation of this anomaly ?

[Ashok Kumar]

Well the Java API states that

An Error is a subclass of Throwable that indicates serious problems that a reasonable application should not try to catch

.So it is not necessary to catch a error whereas you need to catch or declare thrown a Throwable (or Exception).

[Ram Reddy]

We cannot throw Thowable . we can throw Error , Exception which are dereived from Throwable. For error , it is not neccessary that we have to catch that exception(catch block) (or throws ) . But for Exception (for Checked exceptions only) , you have to catch by means of catch block or throws clause.

Please correct me it i am wrong.

[Anton Uwe]

Try to compile this:

public class Box {
    public void doIt()throws Throwable { throw new Throwable(); }
}