How Does Exception Handling Work in Java?

Learn how Java exception handling works behind the scenes, including the try-catch-finally flow, stack unwinding, propagation, and exception object creation.

📌 What is Exception Handling?

Exception handling in Java is the process of dealing with runtime errors to maintain the normal flow of the application.

Java uses a structured mechanism using:

• try
• catch
• finally
• throw
• throws

These help you catch errors, handle them gracefully, and prevent application crashes.

🧠 How Exception Handling Works (Behind the Scenes)

Here’s a breakdown of what happens when an exception occurs:

1️⃣ Exception is Thrown

When an error happens (like dividing by zero or a null reference), Java creates an exception object.

int a = 5 / 0; // ArithmeticException thrown here

Java creates an instance of ArithmeticException

It contains:

• Error type
• Message
• Stack trace

2️⃣ Stack Unwinding Begins