Doubt about ExceptionInInitializerError

[Aarav Thomas]

When i check the java doc 'ExceptionInInitializerError' extends 'Error'. But i'm able to catch it with 'Exception' class as shown below. When i replace 'Exception' with 'Error' in the below code it doesn't catch the exception/error!!!

Is 'ExceptionInInitializerError' an exception or an error? Someone please clarify.

class Test{
static{
try{
int i = 1/0;
}catch(Exception ex){
System.out.println("Hi "+ex);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
 
}
}

[ October 25, 2008: Message edited by: Aravind Jerubandi ]

[ October 25, 2008: Message edited by: Aravind Jerubandi ]
[ October 25, 2008: Message edited by: Aravind Jerubandi ]

[Wouter Oet]

When I run your code I get an java.lang.ArithmeticException: / by zero.
Which is to be expected. I have never heard of an ExceptionInInitilizationError and I can't find anything about it. Can you give a link to the javadoc and/or source.

[Aarav Thomas]

I'm extremely sorry. It is 'ExceptionInInitializerError'. It was a typo.

[Wouter Oet]

Aha. I thought it would be something like that.
I think your confused. By not catching the / by zero exception an error is raised by the JVM. By catching the exception no problems where found thus the jvm doesn't rais an error.

The / by 0 is an exception that causes an error, the ExceptionInInitializerError, to by raised by the jvm because it is in a static initialiser.

[Aarav Thomas]

Thank you so much!!!

I got it. Don't know why it didn't strike to me...

[Campbell Ritchie]

campbell@linux-pgix:~/java> gedit InitialiserErrorDemo.java
campbell@linux-pgix:~/java> javac InitialiserErrorDemo.java
campbell@linux-pgix:~/java> java InitialiserErrorDemo
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
Caused by: java.lang.ArithmeticException: / by zero
at InitialiserErrorDemo.<clinit>(InitialiserErrorDemp.java:6)
Could not find the main class: InitialiserErrorDemo. Program will exit.
campbell@linux-pgix:~/java>

public class InitialiserErrorDemo
{
    private static int i;
    static
    {
        i = 10 / 0;
    }
}

That is how you can convert your ArithmeticException to an ExceptionInInitializerError.