If a method declares throws IOException, what must a caller do?

If a method declares throws IOException, what must a caller do?

• A. Either catch IOException or declare IOException in its own signature
• B. Ignore IOException because it is unchecked
• C. Convert it to a RuntimeException
• D. Re-declare the exception using extends

Answer: (A)

In Java, IOException is a checked exception. When a method declares that it throws IOException, the caller must acknowledge that possibility at compile time. The only valid ways to satisfy this requirement are to either handle the exception with a try-catch block or to declare that the caller method itself may throw IOException (by adding throws IOException to its signature). This is what ensures the potential I/O issue is addressed by the program’s structure. Ignoring it isn’t allowed for checked exceptions, because the compiler enforces handling or propagation. Converting it to a RuntimeException is possible but not the obligation of the caller, and re-declaring using extends isn’t applicable to exception handling here.

In Java, IOException is a checked exception. When a method declares that it throws IOException, the caller must acknowledge that possibility at compile time. The only valid ways to satisfy this requirement are to either handle the exception with a try-catch block or to declare that the caller method itself may throw IOException (by adding throws IOException to its signature). This is what ensures the potential I/O issue is addressed by the program’s structure.

Ignoring it isn’t allowed for checked exceptions, because the compiler enforces handling or propagation. Converting it to a RuntimeException is possible but not the obligation of the caller, and re-declaring using extends isn’t applicable to exception handling here.