Weird! error handling not functioning

Question

hi all
we have method A:
  public int issueItemWorkOrder( String sWORKON ) throws SQLException, Exception {calling method B:
  public float getQtyAvailable( String sITEM ) throws SQLException, Exception {method B raises an exception that is not being caught by method A. Any ideas?
code below
thanks for any help
  public float getQtyAvailable( String sITEM ) throws SQLException, Exception {
// --------->sintax error on purpose
          fQtyAvailable = rs.getFloat( "QTYSTK" ) - rs.getFloat( "QTYMIN" );
        else {
          fQtyAvailable = 0;
      catch( SQLException sqle ) { // this error is raised
        error  = "SQLException: get quantity available failed possible record does not exist. ";
        error += sqle.toString();
        throw new SQLException( error );
      catch( Exception e ) { // this error is raised
        error  = "An exception occured while getting quantity available record. ";
        error += e.toString();
        throw new Exception( error );
      finally {
        return fQtyAvailable;
    else {
      error = "Exception: Connection to database was lost while checking item work order. ";
      throw new Exception( error );
  public int issueItemWorkOrder( String sWORKON ) throws SQLException, Exception {
// ------->calling fQtyAvailable should raise an error
       fQtyAvailable = getQtyAvailable( sITEMWORKORDER );
// --------> it not being caught, why????
      catch( SQLException sqle ) {
        error  = "SQLException: issue item work order failed, possible record does not exist. ";
        error += sqle.toString();
        throw new SQLException( error );
      catch( Exception e ) {
        error = "An exception occured while issueing item work order record. ";
        error += e.toString();
        throw new Exception( error );
      finally {
        return iRowCount;
    else {
      error = "Exception: Connection to database was lost.";
      throw new Exception( error );
  }

Answer 1

thanks rmorlok
I have read few books and could not find an explanation why having a "return statement inside the finally clause of a method which raises an exception" blocks the propagation of exceptions?
eg.
method issueItemWorkOrder calls method getQtyAvailable
1) The code below works fine, since we haven't got any return statement in the finally clause;
2) However, if we add a return statement inside the finally clause of getQtyAvailable, when an exception occurs inside getQtyAvailable, the exception does not propagate to issueItemWorkOrder, and the code inside issueItemWorkOrder continues normally, which is NOT CORRECT.
Any explanation why the return statement blocks the propagation of exceptions??
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
cheers
Trajano
  public void getQtyAvailable( String sITEM ) throws SQLException, Exception {
    PreparedStatement ps1 = null;
    ResultSet rs1 = null;
    if( con != null ) {
      try {
        // the following line of code throws an exception on purpose for testing     
        if( rs1.next() ) {
          fQtyAvailable = rs1.getFloat( "QTYSTK" ) - rs1.getFloat( "QTYMIN" );
      catch( SQLException sqle ) {
        error  = "SQLException: get quantity available failed possible record does not exist. ";
        error += sqle.toString();
        throw new SQLException( error );
      catch( Exception e ) {
        error  = "An exception occured while getting quantity available record. ";
        error += e.toString();
        throw new Exception( error );
      finally {
    else {
      error = "Exception: Connection to database was lost while checking item work order. ";
      throw new Exception( error );
  public void issueItemWorkOrder( String sWORKON ) throws SQLException, Exception {
    boolean bFirstRun = true;
    float fQtyStillRequired = 0, fQtyIssued = 0;
    int iIWOID = 0, iISOID = 0, iIWOSTATUS = 0, iISOSTATUS = 0, iWOSTATUS = 0;
    String sITEMWORKORDER = null;
    if( con != null ) {
      try {
          getQtyAvailable( sITEMWORKORDER );
      catch( SQLException sqle ) {
        error  = "SQLException: issue item work order failed, possible record does not exist. ";
        error += sqle.toString();
        throw new SQLException( error );
      catch( Exception e ) {
        error = "An exception occured while issueing item work order record. ";
        error += e.toString();
        throw new Exception( error );
      finally {
    else {
      error = "Exception: Connection to database was lost.";
      throw new Exception( error );