variable might already have been assigned when it cannot be assigned

Question

research this code:

public class TestFinalAndCatch {
    private final int i;

    TestFinalAndCatch(String[] args) {
        try {
            i = method1();
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            i = 0;  // error: variable i might already have been assigned
        }
    }

    static int method1() throws IOException {
        return 1;
    }
}

compiler says that java: variable i might already have been assigned

But for me it is looks like impossible situation.

Answer 1

The problem is that in this case compiler works syntax-based not semantic-based. There are 2 workarounds: First base on moving exception handle on method:

package com.java.se.stackoverflow;

public class TestFinalAndCatch {
    private final int i;

    TestFinalAndCatch(String[] args) {
        i = method1();
    }

    static int method1() {
        try {
            return 1;
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            return 0;
        }
    }
}

Second base on using temporar variable:

package com.java.se.stackoverflow;

import java.io.IOException;

public class TestFinalAndCatch {
    private final int i;

    TestFinalAndCatch(String[] args) {
        int tempI;
        try {
            tempI = method1();
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            tempI = 0;
        }
        i = tempI;
    }

    static int method1() throws IOException {
        return 1;
    }
}

Answer 2

To overcome this problem, use a local variable in the try catch block and then assign that result to the instance variable.

public class TestFinalAndCatch {
    private final int i;

    TestFinalAndCatch(String[] args) {
        int tmp;
        try {
            tmp = method1();
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            tmp = 0;
        }
        i = tmp;
    }

    static int method1() throws IOException {
        return 1;
    }
}