Java assertions underused

Question

I\'m wondering why the assert keyword is so underused in Java? I\'ve almost never seen them used, but I think they\'re a great idea. I certainly much prefer the

Answer 1

Assertions are useful because they:

• catch PROGRAMMING errors early
• document code using code

Think of them as code self-validation. If they fail it should mean that your program is broken and must stop. Always turn them on while unit testing !

In The Pragmatic Programmer they even recommend to let them run in production.

Leave Assertions Turned On

Use Assertions to Prevent the Impossible.

Note that assertions throw AssertionError if they fail, so not caught by catch Exception.