Where and how handle spring+hibernate exceptions?

Question

im using spring+hibernate for a desktop application.

I'm trying to build it with a layered implementation, so i have:

GUI layer --call--> Service layer --call--> DAO layer

A small example to better exaplain my situation:

// In GUI layer
private void actionPerformed(ActionEvent evt){
    addUser();
}

private void addUser(){
    // Check gui validation for user inputs
    if(inputIsValid()){
        String username=nameText.getText();
        String pass=passText.getText();
        //Now call service layer
        userService.createUser(username, pass);
        // Now here i want to show a message to user like
        // "Operation successful" or "Operation failed"
        // or more sofisticated message like "User with same name already exists"
    }
}


// Service layer
@Transactional
public void createUser(String name, String pass){
    User user=new User(name, pass);
    userDao.save(user);
}

// Another service layer example, 
@Transactional
public boolean createUser(String name, String pass){
    User user=new User(name, pass);
    try{
        userDao.save(user);
    }
    catch(Exception ex){
        Log(ex);
        return false;
    }
    return true;
    // In this case GUI layer can know if save is succesful, but it can't know WHY
    // the save is failed : some username? DB service shutdown? etc..
}

The problem is: who throw exception and who handle it?

I think DAO have to throw first exception, and service layer rethrow it, and finally GUI layer handle exception, so i can show message to user, is this good? There is a way to build some ExceptionHandler using spring?

What is the best practice to manage exceptions using spring+hibernate?

Thanks.

Tyler Treat Tyler Treat · Accepted Answer · 2010-11-13T21:30:38

I would suggest wrapping the thrown exceptions in your own exception class and letting them bubble up to the GUI layer.

Where and how handle spring+hibernate exceptions?

2 Answers