try-catch vs try-with-resources

• try-catch is used to handle exceptions
• try-with-resources is used to handle exceptions AND automatically close resources

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Core Difference

Point	try-catch	try-with-resources
Purpose	Handle exceptions	Handle exceptions + close resources
Resource management	Manual	Automatic
finally block needed	✅ Yes (usually)	❌ No
Introduced in Java	Java 1.0	Java 7
Code length	More	Less
Risk of resource leak	Higher	Very low

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try-catch

What it does

• Catches and handles exceptions
• Does NOT close resources automatically

Key Points

• You must close resources manually
• Usually combined with finally
• More boilerplate code

Typical usage

“I want to catch and handle an exception.”

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try-with-resources

What it does

• Automatically closes resources after use
• Handles exceptions at the same time

Key Points

• Resource must implement AutoCloseable
• Cleaner and safer
• Preferred in modern Java

Typical usage

“I want to use a resource safely and ensure it is closed.”

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⚠️ Important

• try-with-resources always closes resources
• Closing happens even if exception occurs
• Resources are closed in reverse order of creation

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When to Use What (Practical)

• Use try-catch when:
  • No external resource is involved
  • You only want exception handling
• Use try-with-resources when:
  • Working with files, DB, streams, sockets
  • You want clean and safe code
  • Java 7+ is available

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try-catch handles exceptions, while try-with-resources handles exceptions and automatically closes resources.