Android™ How to Program, Second Edition

Checked vs. Unchecked Exceptions

Java distinguishes between checked exceptions and unchecked exceptions. This distinction is important, because the Java compiler enforces a catch-or-declare requirement for checked exceptions. An exception’s type determines whether it’s checked or unchecked. All exception types that are direct or indirect subclasses of class RuntimeException (package java.lang) are unchecked exceptions. These are typically caused by defects in your program’s code. Examples of unchecked exceptions include ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsExceptions (discussed in Appendix E) and ArithmeticExceptions. All classes that inherit from class Exception but not class RuntimeException are considered to be checked exceptions. Such exceptions are typically ...