Why do Java people frequently consume exceptions silently?

Question

I never did any serious Java coding before, but I learned the syntax, libraries, and concepts based on my existing skills (Delphi & C#). One thing I hardly understand i

Answer 1

A System.out print or e.printStackTrace() - which implies use of System.out is usually a red flag meaning someone didn't bother to do a diligent job. Excepting desktop Java Applications, most Java apps are better off using logging.

If the failure mode for a method is a no-operation, it's perfectly fine to eat an exception, whether you record the reason (and existence) or not. More typically, however, the catch clause should be taking some sort of exceptional action.

Rethrowing an exception is something that's best done when you either use the catch to clean up part of the work at a level where the necessary information is still available or when you need to transform the exception to an exception type more amenable to the caller.