Object can throw exception on construction, but I don't want it to stop everything

Question

I have a factory that loads configuration from an xml file, and uses the configuration to be able to create objects of an appropriate type with appropriate settings. My application does a number of different tasks, and I don't want a broken or missing xml file to interfere with the other tasks the application does.

The factory is a Guice-provided dependency, however, if I make the constructor throw an exception, then I will just get a ProvisionException, which could cause unpredictable results or crash the application, neither of which are acceptable.

Currently, I have the factory swallow the exception on creation, and then throw it when the make method is called. Alternatively, I have a makeUnchecked method, if you call the ready() method first. Are there any problems with this approach, or is there potentially a better way to do it?

SSCCE:

public class FooFactory {
 private Exception ex = null;
 @Inject
 public FooFactory(@FooSettings String filename) {
 loadSettings(filename);
 }
 public void loadSettings(String filename) {
 try {
 // stuff
 this.ex = null;
 } catch(Exception e) {
 this.ex = e;
 }
 }
 public Foo make(InputObj input) throws Exception {
 if(ex != null) throw ex;
 makeUnchecked(input);
 }
 public Foo makeUnchecked(InputObj input) {
 if (ex != null) throw new IllegalStateException(ex);
 // factory stuff
 }
 public boolean ready() {
 return ex == null;
 }
}

Answer 1

My application does a number of different tasks, and I don't want a broken or missing xml file to interfere with the other tasks the application does.

If you don't need the XML file configuration, why do you have it? How can you continue without it?

How you answer this conceptual question has a lot to do with how you implement the code logic using exceptions.

Answer 2

Your approach will work, but I would suggest an alternative. Remove the makeUnchecked and ready methods. Do not have constructor load settings. Have a static boolean variable, say, areSettingsLoaded to indicate whether settings have been loaded. Set it to false initially. In the make method add thread-safe code to check the value of areSettingsLoaded. If false call loadsettings. Then set the boolean var to true. This approach will have the following advantages:

1. The class gets constructed faster.
2. The Exception will not be hidden.
3. Exception handling logic is much simpler.

• durron597: Would you still have make throw a checked exception?
• palacsint: A disadvantage is that it makes testing harder since the static variable acts as a global state which you have to reset before every test.