What are best practices for working with exception chaining?

Exception chaining is a powerful feature in Java that allows you to build a more informative exception handling system. Here are some best practices to follow when working with exception chaining:

  • Use Constructors: Always use the constructor of the exception class to pass the original cause of the exception.
  • Be Descriptive: When throwing a new exception, provide a clear and descriptive message to help understand the context of the error.
  • Log the Cause: Always log the original exception when catching exceptions and chaining them for easier debugging.
  • Avoid Silent Failures: Do not catch exceptions silently. Always handle them appropriately, either by logging or re-throwing them.
  • Wrap Specific Exceptions: When re-throwing exceptions, consider wrapping a specific exception into a more generic one for a cohesive error handling strategy.

Here’s an example of exception chaining in Java:

<![CDATA[ try { // some code that throws an exception throw new SQLException("Database error"); } catch (SQLException e) { throw new CustomDatabaseException("Failed to execute query", e); } ]]>

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