variable initialization

[bernard adaba]

Hi, i am working on a code, and i kept getting a compiler error stating that variable (e1) might not have been initiliased. Why is the variable not initialised? Below is the code

class MyException extends Exception{}

class TestM {

void f() throws MyException { throw new MyException();}

public static void main(String[] args) throws MyException{

MyException e1;

TestM t = new TestM();

try{

t.f();

}

catch(MyException e){

e1=e; System.out.print("catch1");

}


finally{

try{

throw e1; // this is where the error occurs

}

catch(Exception ex){

System.out.print("catch2");

}
}

System.out.print("End");

}
}


// i was thinking when the MyException is thrown in the first try block and it is being caught, the reference variable e1 gets initialised there? So why the compiler error.?

thank you?

[Garrett Rowe]

What happens in the case where an exception is not thrown?

[Garrett Rowe]

Oh yeah... Welcome to JavaRanch!

[bernard adaba]

is the f() method not supposed to throw the new MyException at all cost?


or it is not guaranteed?

[Abhijeet Ravankar]

Function f() always throws an exception. But at "Runtime". The compiler has no way to figure that out at compile-time. So, for the compiler if t.f() does not throw an exception, then the catch clause is never executed. So, e1 is never initialized. However finally always is. Hence the problem.

[bernard adaba]

i think it is clear now.
thank you all