Interview Q&A / Java

1. In what order should catch blocks be written, and what is multi-catch in Java?

   Catch blocks are checked top to bottom, so subclasses must come before their parents or the code will not compile. Multi-catch uses a pipe to handle several unrelated exceptions in one block.

   IntermediateQuick answer1 min read
2. What does a Java method return when both try and finally contain a return?

   The finally block runs before the method actually returns, and a return inside finally overrides the earlier one, so the finally value wins. If finally only changes a variable, a primitive value already chosen for return is not affected.

   IntermediateQuick answer1 min read
3. What is exception chaining in Java and why keep the cause?

   Exception chaining wraps a low-level exception inside a higher-level one using the cause argument, so callers get a meaningful message and the stack trace still shows the original failure through getCause().

   IntermediateQuick answer1 min read