Difference Between Errors and Exceptions in
Java
Anshuman Singh
Senior Execut ive - Cont ent
Updated on Feb 19, 2024 12:33 IST
In Java, one of the main difference between errors and exceptions is that errors
represent severe issues that indicate resource exhaustion or system problems
beyond the program's control. Recovering f rom an error is generally
impossible . On the other hand, exceptions represent unexpected events that
occur during program execution due to issues within the code itself. These can
of ten be handled using try-catch blocks to provide alternative behaviour or
informative messages.
In Java, both errors and exceptions are subclasses of the Java Throwable class
that belongs to java.lang package. Even though both are the subclass of the
same class, they represent distinct issues that can arise during program execution.
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Table of Content (TOC)
Dif f erence Between Errors and Exceptions
What are Errors?
Error Example
What are Exceptions?
Exception Example
Key Dif f erences Between Errors and Exceptions
Difference Between Errors and Exceptions
For better clarity, let's comprehend the difference between these two subclasses in
a tabular format.
Aspect Error Exception
A serious problem that An issue that can disrupt
cannot be recovered the normal f low of a
Def inition
f rom, typically arising program but can be caught
f rom system-level issues. and handled.
System abnormalities
Application code, including
such as hardware
Origin invalid input or incorrect
f ailures, system crashes,
API usage.
or out of memory.
Can of ten be recovered
Fatal and non- f rom using try-catch
Recovery
recoverable. blocks.
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Aspect Error Exception
Checked Exceptions
(detected at compile time)
Syntax Error, Runtime
Types and Unchecked
Error, Logical Error.
Exceptions (occur at
runtime).
IOException,
OutOf MemoryError,
Examples NullPointerException,
StackOverf lowError.
SQLException, etc.
Can be caught and
Cannot be handled or handled in the program to
Handling
caught by the program. maintain f low or recover
f rom the situation.
Hierarchy in Extends the Error class in Extends the Exception
Java in Java’s class hierarchy. class in the hierarchy.
Primarily occur at runtime,
When They Can occur both at though checked
Occur compile time and runtime. exceptions can be
detected at compile time.
Disrupts the normal f low
May cause the program
but allows f or redirection
Impact (and potentially the
or handling within the
system) to terminate.
program.
Unpredictable and of ten Can be anticipated and
Predictability outside the control of the handled through proper
application. coding practices.
You should also explore: Features of Java Programming Language
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What are Errors?
Errors in Java denote serious issues that majorly occur at runtime due to external
factors beyond the program's control. Common causes of these errors include
critical system failures and resource limitations, such as running out of memory or
encountering a stack overflow.
Due to their gravity, errors are represented by the Error class and its subclasses.
Attempting to recover from them within the program is nearly impossible. Instead,
the recommended approach is to log the error and exit the application. Some
common examples of Java errors are:
OutOf MemoryError: Occurs when the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
exhausts available memory resources.
StackOverf lowError: Arises when the call stack becomes too deep
due to excessive method invocations.
NoClassDef FoundError: Triggered when the JVM cannot locate a
required class.
Error Example: OutOfMemoryError
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Copy code
public class ErrorExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
// Intentionally create an array size that is too large to fit into memory
int[] largeArray = new int[Integer.MAX_VALUE];
} catch (Throwable e) {
// Catch the OutOfMemoryError
System.out.println(e.toString());
}
}
}
Output:
Explanation: This example tries to allocate an array that's too large for the JVM's
memory, causing an OutOfMemoryError. This error is caught by catching Throwable
(the superclass of all errors and exceptions), and its type is printed. Usually, catching
such errors is not recommended unless you're doing specific error handling or
logging, as it indicates issues that an application usually cannot recover from by
itself.
What are Exceptions?
Exceptions in Java are issues that occur within a program and disrupt the normal
flow of its execution. These can be recoverable errors like NullPointerException and
IllegalArgumentException. Java has two types of exceptions: checked and
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unchecked. They differ in their handling requirements.
Checked Exceptions: These are known to the compiler at compile
time, necessitating explicit handling within the code.
Unchecked Exceptions: These are detected at runtime and are
typically caused by programming errors, allowing f or more f lexibility in
handling.
Developers can use try-catch blocks to manage exceptions effectively. This allows
them to provide informative error messages to users and prevent program crashes.
Must Explore: Exception Handling in Java
Exception Example: FileNotFoundException
Copy code
import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileReader;
public class ExceptionExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
// Attempt to open a file that does not exist
File file = new File("nonexistent.txt");
FileReader fr = new FileReader(file);
} catch (java.io.FileNotFoundException e) {
// Catch the FileNotFoundException
System.out.println(e.toString());
}
}
}
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Output:
Explanation: This example attempts to open a file that does not exist, which
throws a FileNotFoundException, a checked exception. The catch block catches this
exception and prints its type and message. Unlike errors, exceptions like
FileNotFoundException are expected to be handled by applications to either recover
from the condition or provide informative feedback to the user.
Key Differences Between Errors and Exceptions
Here are the key differences between errors and exceptions:
Errors indicate unrecoverable system issues beyond program control.
In contrast, exceptions represent unexpected events within the
program that can of ten be handled gracef ully.
All errors are subclasses of the java.lang.Error class. Meanwhile, all
exceptions are subclasses of the java.lang.Exception class, which
itself inherits f rom java.lang.Throwable.
In Java, errors occur at runtime when the system encounters
resource limitations. In contrast, exceptions occur both at runtime
and compile time.
Due to their unrecoverable nature, errors are not meant to be caught
within the program. In contrast, exceptions can be caught and
handled using try-catch blocks.
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FAQs
How do exceptions dif f er f rom errors?
Can all errors and exceptions be prevented in Java programming?
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