Given the code fragment: int number = 1; String s = null; try { number = s.length(); number += 2; } catch (RuntimeException e) { number += 4; } System.out.println (number); What is the result?

The correct answer is C. 5. C is correct (5) because s.length() throws a NullPointerException before the assignment to number completes, leaving number still at 1. Since NullPointerException extends RuntimeException, the catch block fires and executes number += 4, giving 1 + 4 = 5. A (1) is wrong because…

Exception Handling and Methods

Question

Given the code fragment:
int number = 1;
String s = null;
try {
number = s.length();
number += 2;
}
catch (RuntimeException e) {
number += 4;
}
System.out.println (number);
What is the result?

Options

A1
B3
C5
DNothing is printed.

How the community answered

(43 responses)

A
14% (6)
B
5% (2)
C
74% (32)
D
7% (3)

Explanation

C is correct (5) because s.length() throws a NullPointerException before the assignment to number completes, leaving number still at 1. Since NullPointerException extends RuntimeException, the catch block fires and executes number += 4, giving 1 + 4 = 5.

A (1) is wrong because the exception is caught - if it weren't (or if there were no catch block), number would stay at 1, but execution doesn't stop there.
B (3) is wrong because number += 2 is in the try block after the line that throws - once the exception is thrown, the rest of the try block is skipped entirely.
D is wrong because the exception is handled gracefully; execution reaches System.out.println normally after the catch block runs.

Memory tip: Think of a try block like a circuit breaker - the moment an exception fires, the current line is abandoned mid-execution and control jumps immediately to the matching catch. Any partial assignment or subsequent lines in the try are skipped.

Topics

#NullPointerException#RuntimeException#Try-Catch#Exception Handling

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