---
parent: Code Howtos
---
# Error Handling in JabRef

## Throwing and Catching Exceptions

Principles:

* All exceptions we throw should be or extend `JabRefException`; This is especially important if the message stored in the Exception should be shown to the user. `JabRefException` has already implemented the `getLocalizedMessage()` method which should be used for such cases (see details below!).
* Catch and wrap all API exceptions (such as `IOExceptions`) and rethrow them
  * Example:

    ```java
        try {
            // ...
        } catch (IOException ioe) {
            throw new JabRefException("Something went wrong...",
                Localization.lang("Something went wrong...", ioe);
        }
    ```

* Never, ever throw and catch `Exception` or `Throwable`
* Errors should only be logged when they are finally caught (i.e., logged only once). See **Logging** for details.
* If the Exception message is intended to be shown to the User in the UI (see below) provide also a localizedMessage (see `JabRefException`).

_(Rationale and further reading:_ [https://www.baeldung.com/java-exceptions](https://www.baeldung.com/java-exceptions)_)_

## Outputting Errors in the UI

Principle: Error messages shown to the User should not contain technical details (e.g., underlying exceptions, or even stack traces). Instead, the message should be concise, understandable for non-programmers and localized. The technical reasons (and stack traces) for a failure should only be logged.

To show error message two different ways are usually used in JabRef:

* showing an error dialog
* updating the status bar at the bottom of the main window

```text
TODO: Usage of status bar and `DialogService`
```