Can amethod can return an Exception

[Gitesh Ramchandani]

Is it true:
Can amethod can return an Exception?

My answer isNo, i cannot. Please correct me if I'm wrong.


pls help
regards,
gitesh

[Abdullah Mamun]

Originally posted by Gitesh Ramchandani:
Can amethod can return an Exception?

My answer isNo, i cannot. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Why not? Try writing a function returning an exception.

[raghu nagabandi]

It is possibe. Method can retutn a exception also.

Ex:

Exception demo()
{

return new IOExcetion();
}

[dhwani mathur]

Hi Al Mamun

You said we can return an Exception i agree to this
but i have some doubt on this as below

If any method returns Exception than the calling method
has to call the method in try catch block?
bcoz the method is returning
Exception......
just as shown below

Ex:
 
Exception demo()
{
 
return new IOExcetion();
} 
 
 
 
Suppose 
 
class Test
{
public static void main(String args[])
{
try
{
     Exception demo()  //is it correct?as well as legal?
}
 
 
catch
{
 
}
}
 
}
 

Please help
i need some explanation on this

Thanks in advance!!!
[ August 28, 2007: Message edited by: dhwani mathur ]

[Abdullah Mamun]

Hi Dhawni

Originally posted by dhwani mathur:
If any method returns Exception than the calling method
has to call the method in try catch block?
bcoz the method is returning
Exception......

The calling method need not to be in the try block. This idea is same as any other functions. Have a look at the following example:

public class Test {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(System.getProperty("user.dir"));
        Exception ex = test();
        System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
    }
    
    static Exception test() {
        return new IndexOutOfBoundsException("Returning Exception!!!");
    }
}

This will work just fine and produce the output Returning Exception!!!

[Saket Barve]

Dhwani, a try-catch block will be required if the method were throwing an exception. In this case you are simply returning an exception just as you would any other object.

[dhwani mathur]

Hey !!Thanks a lot

Al Mamun and Saket Barve

Now i am clear with my doubt!!!

Preparing SCJP 1.5

[Gitesh Ramchandani]

Thanks everybody,

My doubt is cleared now.

[Vikrant Sahdev]

The one line answer would be: Yes you can return exceptions since they descend from Object class and are a type of Object.
Fellow ranchers, avoid long-winded answers. Rather be brief and to the point.
That helps answering the question as it is,rather than spawning multiple threads of useless breath.