Software Engineering

Lecture 3:
Exception
2013

Outline
Why exception?
Java error handling mechanism
checked & unchecked exceptions

Working with exceptions

Design issues

2013

FIT330 Software Engineering

Why exception?
Problem: how to design robust procedures
i.e. behave in a well-defined way when errors
occur

Requirements:
not to terminate abruptly
provides an approximation of the normal behaviour

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FIT330 Software Engineering

Example: invalid input problem

A behaviour is required for invalid input:
/**
* @effects <pre>
*
if a is sorted in ascending order
*
returns true
*
else returns false</pre>
*/
public static boolean sorted(int[] a) {
int prev = a[0];
for (int i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
if (prev <= a[i])
prev = a[i];
else
return false;
Any problems
}
return true;
}
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FIT330 Software Engineering

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Two common solutions

Returns a 'special' value:
error is treated part of the normal flow

Generates an special 'signal':

error is an exceptional case (separate from the
normal flow)

Which solution is better

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FIT330 Software Engineering

Solution 1 example
public static boolean sorted(int[] a) {
if (a == null)
return false;
if (a.length<=1)
return true;
int prev = a[0];
for (int i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
if (prev <= a[i])
prev = a[i];
else
return false;
}
return true;
}
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FIT330 Software Engineering

Solution 1's limitations

No valid special values for total procedures
Value may be ignored by caller
An additional check is always required
Returned value does not carry error details

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FIT330 Software Engineering

Solution 2: Exception
The special signal is called exception
no returned values needed

Caller can be forced to handle exceptions

Caller may deligate the handling
Exception is a data type that carry error details

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FIT330 Software Engineering

Solution 2 example
public static boolean sorted(int[] a)
throws NullPointerException {
if (a == null)
throw new NullPointerException("sorted: array is null");
if (a.length<=1)
return true;
int prev = a[0];
for (int i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
if (prev <= a[i])
prev = a[i];
else
return false;
}
return true;
}
2013

FIT330 Software Engineering

Java error handling mechanism

Use special 'signal'
Execution errors include:
environmental errors: derived from Error class
program errors: exceptions

New exception types can be created:

checked or unchecked

Methods are specified with exceptions

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Java exception type hierarchy

Throwable
Error

Exception
RuntimeException

(checked exceptions)

(unchecked exceptions)

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Checked vs. unchecked exception

Checked exceptions:
must be handled
derived from Exception

Unchecked exceptions:
need not be handled (automatically handled by
Java run-time)
used for code safety
subtypes of RuntimeException

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Working with exceptions

Determine the exception type
Create a new exception type
Specify a procedure with exceptions
Specify a type with exceptions
Throw an exception in the code
Handle an exception

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Determine the exception type

Types of error:
invalid input: e.g. array is null
logic: e.g. division by zero
others: e.g. disk access failure

Exception depends on the 'expectedness' of

the error:
(highly) expected: use checked exception
(mildly) unexpected: use unchecked exception

Reuse exceptions where possible

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How to name an exception?

Exception name = type of error + Exception
Examples:
array is null NullPointerException
division by zero DivideByZeroException
disk access failure DiskAccessException

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Create a new exception

Create a subtype of Exception (if checked)
or RuntimeException (if unchecked)
Placed in the same or a separate package
(better)
Implement constructor method(s):

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default constructor

single-argument constructor: error message

invokes suitable super constructors

Add new methods (if needed)

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Example
public class NonPositiveException
extends RuntimeException {
public EmptyException(String msg) {
super(msg);
}
}

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Specify a proc. with exceptions

Robust procedures throw exception(s)
both checked and unchecked

Thrown exception(s) are part of the

specification
listed in the header

The @effects clause should state:

the cause of each exception
how @modifies interact with exception(s)

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Example: fact
/**
* @effects <pre>
*
if n is non-positive,
*
throws NonPositiveException
*
else
*
returns the factorial of n</pre>
*/
public static int fact(int n) throws NonPositiveException

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search
/**
* @requires <tt>a</tt> is sorted
* @effects
<pre>
*
if a is null
*
throws NullPointerException
*
else if x is not in a
*
throws NotFoundException
*
else
*
returns i such that a[i] = x</pre>.
*/
public static int search(int[] a, int x)
throws NullPointerException, NotFoundException

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Specify a type with exceptions

At least add suitable exceptions to these
operations:
constructor
setter
data validation (optional)

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Example: Vehicle
ch4.vehiclex.Vehicle
Note:
Vehicle throws NotPossibleException in
constructor and setters
Vehicle implements Comparable and provides
an implementation for compareTo:
compareByName: throws two run-time exceptions

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Throw an exception
Use the throw statement
Example:
/**
* (omitted)
*/

public static int fact(int n) throws

NonPositiveException {
if (n < 0)
throw new NonPositiveException(
"fact(): input is not positive: " + n);
return ch2.Num.fact(n);
}
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Handle an exception
Specify in throws or handle in the code
Surrounds the using code with try...catch
Three techniques applied to the catch block:
Logging
Masking
Reflecting

A combination of the above techniques is also

common

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Example
int n = 10;
try {
int f = fact(n);
System.out.println("fact("+n+"): " + f);
} catch (NonPositiveException e) {
// handle exception
}

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Log an exception
Record the exception details (e.g. to file)
Example:
int n = 10;
try {
int f = fact(n);
System.out.println("fact("+n+"): " + f);
} catch (NonPositiveException e) {
// should not happen, log
System.err.println("Error: invalid input " +
e.getMessage());
// more details
// e.printStackTrace();
}
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Mask an exception
When exceptions are expected as part of the
logic
Handles the exception to terminate normally
(if required) return an exceptional value

Often used together with logging

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Example
/**
* @effects <pre>
*
if n is non-positive
*
log error and return -1
*
else
*
return the factorial of n</pre>
*/
public static int computeFact1(int n) {
try {
int f = fact(n);
return f;
} catch (NonPositiveException e) {
// log
System.err.println("Error: invalid input " +
e.getMessage());
// mask using -1
return -1;
}
}
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Reflect an exception
Propagates an exception up to the caller:
deligate the handling

Typically used for serious, checked exceptions

Relected exception is the same or new:
if unchecked: reflected exception is automatically
propagated
if checked: reflected exception must be compatible
with header's

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Reflection example
/**
* @effects <pre>
*
if n is non-positive
*
throw NotPossibleException
*
else
*
return the factorial of n</pre>
*/
public static void computeFact2(int n)
throws NotPossibleException {
try {
int f = fact(n);
System.out.println("fact("+n+"): " + f);
} catch (NonPositiveException e) {
throw new NotPossibleException(
"Could not compute fact("+n+")");
}
}
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Design issues
Method overriding with exceptions
Reuse exceptions where possible
Consider the context of use:
partial procedures may use special values
total procedures need exceptions to define
behaviour for all inputs

Dont overuse exceptions:

excessive exception handling degrades
performance
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Overriding: header rule (review)

Inherited methods must be header compatible
Method header includes:
signature: method name, number and types of
parameters
return type
thrown exceptions (if any)

Compatibility means:
same signature
return type: same (Jdk < 1.4) or subtype (>= 1.5)

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exceptions: (1) subset, (2) new subtypes or

unchecked
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Example: Vehicle TH
ch4.vehiclex.[Bus,Car]
Note:
Bus & Car constructors now throw
NotPossibleException
Such exceptions may be omitted

These constructors may throw additional run-time

exceptions

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Partial procedure
/**
* @requires <tt>a != null</tt>
* @effects
*
<pre>
*
if a is sorted in ascending order
*
return true
*
else
*
return false</pre>
*/
boolean sorted(int[] a)

Why no exceptions
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FIT330 Software Engineering

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Total procedure
/**
* @effects
*
<pre>if a is null
*
throws NullPointerException
*
else if a is sorted in asc order
*
return true
*
else return false</pre>
*/
public static boolean sorted(int[] a)
throws NullPointerException

2013

FIT330 Software Engineering

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Overuse example
/**
* @requires <tt>a != null</tt>
* @effects
*
<pre>
*
if a is sorted in ascending order
*
return true
*
else
*
return false</pre>
*/
boolean sorted(int[] a)

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Which part is overusing?

boolean sorted(int[] a) {
int prev;
try {
prev = a[0];
} catch (IndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
return true;
}
for (int i = 1; i < a.length; i++) {
if (prev <= a[i])
prev = a[i];
else
return false;
}
return true;
}

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How do you improve it

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Summary
Exceptions are needed in robust programs
Exceptions can be checked or unchecked
Procedures/operations are specified with
exceptions
Implementations must throw the specified
exceptions
Exceptions are handled in the code by a
combination of logging and masking or
reflecting
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Questions?

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