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package java.lang;

Signals that an unexpected exception has occurred in a static initializer. An ExceptionInInitializerError is thrown to indicate that an exception occurred during evaluation of a static initializer or the initializer for a static variable.

As of release 1.4, this exception has been retrofitted to conform to the general purpose exception-chaining mechanism. The "saved throwable object" that may be provided at construction time and accessed via the getException() method is now known as the cause, and may be accessed via the Throwable.getCause() method, as well as the aforementioned "legacy method."

Author: Frank Yellin
Since: JDK1.1
/** * Signals that an unexpected exception has occurred in a static initializer. * An <code>ExceptionInInitializerError</code> is thrown to indicate that an * exception occurred during evaluation of a static initializer or the * initializer for a static variable. * * <p>As of release 1.4, this exception has been retrofitted to conform to * the general purpose exception-chaining mechanism. The "saved throwable * object" that may be provided at construction time and accessed via * the {@link #getException()} method is now known as the <i>cause</i>, * and may be accessed via the {@link Throwable#getCause()} method, as well * as the aforementioned "legacy method." * * @author Frank Yellin * @since JDK1.1 */
public class ExceptionInInitializerError extends LinkageError {
Use serialVersionUID from JDK 1.1.X for interoperability
/** * Use serialVersionUID from JDK 1.1.X for interoperability */
private static final long serialVersionUID = 1521711792217232256L;
This field holds the exception if the ExceptionInInitializerError(Throwable thrown) constructor was used to instantiate the object
@serial
/** * This field holds the exception if the * ExceptionInInitializerError(Throwable thrown) constructor was * used to instantiate the object * * @serial * */
private Throwable exception;
Constructs an ExceptionInInitializerError with null as its detail message string and with no saved throwable object. A detail message is a String that describes this particular exception.
/** * Constructs an <code>ExceptionInInitializerError</code> with * <code>null</code> as its detail message string and with no saved * throwable object. * A detail message is a String that describes this particular exception. */
public ExceptionInInitializerError() { initCause(null); // Disallow subsequent initCause }
Constructs a new ExceptionInInitializerError class by saving a reference to the Throwable object thrown for later retrieval by the getException() method. The detail message string is set to null.
Params:
  • thrown – The exception thrown
/** * Constructs a new <code>ExceptionInInitializerError</code> class by * saving a reference to the <code>Throwable</code> object thrown for * later retrieval by the {@link #getException()} method. The detail * message string is set to <code>null</code>. * * @param thrown The exception thrown */
public ExceptionInInitializerError(Throwable thrown) { initCause(null); // Disallow subsequent initCause this.exception = thrown; }
Constructs an ExceptionInInitializerError with the specified detail message string. A detail message is a String that describes this particular exception. The detail message string is saved for later retrieval by the Throwable.getMessage() method. There is no saved throwable object.
Params:
  • s – the detail message
/** * Constructs an ExceptionInInitializerError with the specified detail * message string. A detail message is a String that describes this * particular exception. The detail message string is saved for later * retrieval by the {@link Throwable#getMessage()} method. There is no * saved throwable object. * * * @param s the detail message */
public ExceptionInInitializerError(String s) { super(s); initCause(null); // Disallow subsequent initCause }
Returns the exception that occurred during a static initialization that caused this error to be created.

This method predates the general-purpose exception chaining facility. The Throwable.getCause() method is now the preferred means of obtaining this information.

Returns:the saved throwable object of this ExceptionInInitializerError, or null if this ExceptionInInitializerError has no saved throwable object.
/** * Returns the exception that occurred during a static initialization that * caused this error to be created. * * <p>This method predates the general-purpose exception chaining facility. * The {@link Throwable#getCause()} method is now the preferred means of * obtaining this information. * * @return the saved throwable object of this * <code>ExceptionInInitializerError</code>, or <code>null</code> * if this <code>ExceptionInInitializerError</code> has no saved * throwable object. */
public Throwable getException() { return exception; }
Returns the cause of this error (the exception that occurred during a static initialization that caused this error to be created).
Returns: the cause of this error or null if the cause is nonexistent or unknown.
Since: 1.4
/** * Returns the cause of this error (the exception that occurred * during a static initialization that caused this error to be created). * * @return the cause of this error or <code>null</code> if the * cause is nonexistent or unknown. * @since 1.4 */
public Throwable getCause() { return exception; } }