[jboss-dev-forums] [Embedded JBoss Development] - Re: Embedded API Design Problems

[richard.opalka@jboss.com]

"david.lloyd at jboss.com" wrote : 
  | "richard.opalka at jboss.com" wrote : 
  |   | DO NOT DECLARE TO THROW RUNTIME EXCEPTIONS
  |   | ...
  |   |  * RULE 2.5: Runtime exceptions indicate programmer errors. The best practice is to don't declare them in method signature.
  |   | 
  | 
  | Couldn't disagree more.  Putting all possible/expected unchecked exception types in the throws clause gives users a sense of what to expect; also it can hint to IDEs that you might want to add a catch clause for it.  And it does no real harm.
  | 
  | "richard.opalka at jboss.com" wrote : 
  |   |  * shouldn't be declared to be thrown from API if it is assignable from java.lang.RuntimeException and represents programmer error
  |   | 
  | 
  | Again, disagree.
  | 

Let me disagree ;)
 * Runtime exceptions represent programmer errors
 * Checked exceptions (declared in throws clause) represent special cases user (not programmer) should deal with/know about

Here's one example from String.class:

The following public String(char value[], int offset, int count) constructor throws StringIndexOutOfBoundsException runtime exception.

If I'd change it's signature like you suggest, i.e.:
public String(char value[], int offset, int count) throws StringIndexOutOfBoundsException
the working with such API would look like:

   char[] data = ...;
  |    String s = null;
  |    try 
  |    { 
  |       s = new String(data, 0, 5);
  |    }
  |    catch (StringIndexOutOfBoundsException e) // I'm forced to catch the exception or rethrow it
  |    {
  |       log.error("Damn! Man fix it, then start application again", e);
  |       System.exit(1);
  |    }
  | 

IMO runtime exceptions cannot be part of the signatures,
because they represent my programming errors.
The only way I can fix them is to shutdown application, then
fix it and again start the application.
I'd end with hundreeds/thousands application exit points :(


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