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The finally clause
Once a Java virtual machine has begun to execute a block of code -- the statements between two matching curly braces -- it can exit that block in any of several ways. It could, for example, simply execute past the closing curly brace. It could encounter a break, continue, or return statement that causes it to jump out of the block from somewhere in the middle. Or, if an exception is thrown that isn't caught inside the block, it could exit the block while searching for a catch clause.

Given that a block can be exited in many ways, it is important to be able to ensure that something happens upon exiting a block, no matter how the block is exited. For example, if you open a file in a method, you may want to ensure the file gets closed no matter how the method completes. In Java, you express such a desire with a finally clause.

To use a finally clause, you simply: (1) Enclose the code that has multiple exit points in a try block; and (2) place the code that must be executed when the try block is exited in a finally clause.

Here's an example:

try {
    // Block of code with multiple exit points
}
finally {
    // Block of code that must always be executed when the try block
    // is exited, no matter how the try block is exited
}

At least one clause, either catch or finally, must be associated with each try block. If you have both catch clauses and a finally clause with the same try block, you must put the finally clause after all the catch clauses, as in:

// In Source Packet in file except/ex8/VirtualPerson.java
class VirtualPerson {

    public void drinkCoffee(CoffeeCup cup) {

        try {
            int i = (int) (Math.random() * 4.0);
            switch (i) {
            case 0:
                throw new TooHotException();

            case 1:
                throw new TooColdException();

            case 2:
                throw new UnusualTasteException();

            default:
                System.out.println("This coffee is great!");
            }
        }
        catch (TooHotException e) {
            System.out.println("This coffee is too hot.");
        }
        catch (TooColdException e) {
            System.out.println("This coffee is too cold.");
        }
        catch (UnusualTasteException e) {
            System.out.println("This coffee is too strong.");
        }
        finally {
            System.out.println("Can I please have another cup?");
        }
    }
    //...
}

If during execution of the code within a try block, an exception is thrown that is handled by a catch clause associated with the try block, the finally clause will be executed after the catch clause. For example, if a TooColdException exception is thrown during execution of the try block above, the program would print the following:

This coffee is too cold.
Can I please have another cup?

If an exception is thrown that is not handled by a catch clause associated with the try block, the finally clause is still executed. The Java virtual machine will execute the code of the finally clause before it continues searching elsewhere for an appropriate catch clause. There is no way to leave a try block without executing the code of its finally clause.

You can do anything inside a finally clause that you can do elsewhere, including executing break, continue, or return statements, or throwing exceptions. Such actions inside a finally clause, however, can have some surprising effects. For example, consider a finally clause that is entered because of an uncaught exception. If the finally clause executes a return, the method would complete normally via the return, not abruptly by throwing the exception. The exception would have in effect been handled by the finally clause instead of a catch clause.

As another example, consider a finally clause that is entered because a return true; statement was executed inside the try block. If the finally clause executes a return false; statement, the method will return false.