When is it OK to catch a RuntimeException

Question

On a recent project I recommended catching a RuntimeException within a test harness code and logging it. The code processes a series of inputs from a database, and I do not

Answer 1

Unless you can correct a RuntimeException, you don't want to catch it...

...only true from a developers point of view....

you have to catch all exceptions before they reach up to the UI and make your user sad. This means on the "highest level" you want to catch anything that happend further down. Then you can let the user know there was a problem and at the same time take measures to inform the developers, like sending out alarm mails or whatever...

It is basically considered a data/programming error that could not be forseen, thus you want to improve future releases of the software while at the same time take the user by the hand and move on in a controlled manner...