In Java, what is the difference between catch a generic exception and a specific exception (eg. IOException?)

Question

Currently I\'m catching only generic exceptions, but i want change this to catch the specific exceptions, but what is the advantage of this?

Answer 1

A good example that shows the ability to handle issues based on the type of issue that occurred:

try {
  // open a file based on its file name
} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
  // indicate that the user specified a file that doesn't exist.
  // reopen file selection dialog box.
} catch (IOException e) {
  // indicate that the file cannot be opened.
}

while the corresponding:

try {
  // open a file based on its file name.
} catch (Exception e) {
  // indicate that something was wrong
  // display the exception's "reason" string.
}

The latter example provides no means for handling the exception based on what issue occurred. All issues get handled the same way.