Compiler says "Variable might not have been initialized", although I have a flag variable to guarantee it [duplicate]

Question

Here is my code snippet:

Someclass someObject;
boolean success = true;
try {
    someObject = someOperation();
} catch (Exception e) {
    success = false;
}
if (success) {
    int number = Integer.valueOf(someObject.someMethord());
}

and within the line:

 int number = Integer.valueOf(someObject.someMethord());

the Java compiler throws and error saying

Error: variable someObject might not have been initialized`.

However, if success equals true, then there is no way someObject will not have been initialized, why am I getting this error?

Answer 1

The compiler doesn't analyze the relation between your success flag and the initialization of the someObject variable.

As far as the compiler is concerned, someObject may not be initialized if an exception occurs.

You can solve that issue by setting the variable to null in your catch block (and instead of checking your success variable, check that someObject != null).

Or you can move the int number = Integer.valueOf(someObject.someMethord()); statement inside your try block.