Java Multiple catch blocks

If more than one exception can occur in one try block, then we can use multiple catch blocks to provide appropriate handlers to different exception objects.

Note: in case of multiple catch blocks, blocks must be placed from specific handler to general handler.

Syntax of try block with multiple catch blocks:

try{

       //block of statements

}catch(Exception handler class subclass ){

} catch(Exception handler superclass){

}

Java Multiple catch blocks Example

class ArithmaticTest{
    int array[]={10,20,30,40};
    int num1 = 50;
    int num2 = 10;
    
    public void multipleCatchTest(){
      try{
       //java.lang.ArithmeticException here if num2 = 0.
       System.out.println(num1/num2);
       System.out.println("4th element of given array = " + array[3]);
            
       //ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException here.
       System.out.println("5th element of given array = " + array[4]);

           //catch ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException here.
           }catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){
         //print exception.
         System.out.println(e);
       }catch(ArithmeticException e){//catch ArithmeticException here.
         //print exception.
         System.out.println(e);
       }catch(Exception e){//catch exception here.
         //print exception.
         System.out.println(e);
       }

           System.out.println("Remaining code after exception handling.");
    }
}

public class MultipleCatchExample {
    public static void main(String args[]){
        //creating ArithmaticTest object
        ArithmaticTest obj =  new ArithmaticTest();
        
        //method call
        obj.multipleCatchTest();
    }
}

Output

5 4th element of given array = 40 java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 4 Remaining code after exception handling.

Compile time error if catch blocks are not placed from specific handler to general handler.

class ArithmaticTest{
    int array[]={10,20,30,40};
    int num1 = 50;
    int num2 = 10;
    
    public void multipleCatchTest(){
      try{
       //java.lang.ArithmeticException here if num2 = 0.
       System.out.println(num1/num2);
       System.out.println("4th element of given array = " + array[3]);
            
       //ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException here.
       System.out.println("5th element of given array = " + array[4]);
       }catch(Exception e){//catch exception here.
           //print exception.
           System.out.println(e);
           //Compile time error here.
       }catch(ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException e){
        //print exception.
        System.out.println(e);
       }catch(ArithmeticException e){//catch ArithmeticException here.
        //print exception.
        System.out.println(e);
       }

      System.out.println("Remaining code after exception handling.");
    }
}

public class ExceptionHandlingExample {
    public static void main(String args[]){
        //creating ArithmaticTest object
        ArithmaticTest obj =  new ArithmaticTest();
        
        //method call
        obj.multipleCatchTest();
    }
}

Output

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problems: Unreachable catch block for ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException. 
It is already handled by the catch block for Exception Unreachable catch block for ArithmeticException. 
It is already handled by the catch block for Exception at com.w3schools.business.ArithmaticTest.multipleCatchTest (ExceptionHandlingExample.java:28) 
at com.w3schools.business.ExceptionHandlingExample.main (ExceptionHandlingExample.java:46)