System.exit(status),>> This method never returns normally. What does it means

Question

I know in we can terminate JVM with System.exit(), but in java doc ,they written as >>

"This method never returns normally.". What does it means?

Answer 1

This means program stops its execution from that line of code and it will not execute return statement and will even not call finally block

Answer 2

The documented purpose of this method is to stop the application.

Notes:

• even finally blocks are prevented from executing.
• the shutdown hooks are still run.

I assume the question is;

When does System.exit(n) return?

When you have an application server, running multiple applications, you don't want one to bring down the whole JVM. In this situation you typically have a SecurityManager which prevents a number of operations esp System.exit(). In this situation, a SecurityException can be thrown, or the JVM shuts down the specific application being run.

Answer 3

After the call System.exit() your application will terminate immediately not executing and code following the exit() statement. Look at this example:

public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println("about to exit");
    System.exit(1);
    System.out.println("returned normally");
}

OUTPUT:

about to exit

The second statement System.out.println("returned normally") got never called.

Answer 4

It means that the next line of code after System.exit won't be executed (because the JVM was shut down before getting there).

Answer 5

It means the program doesn't cleanly return from where it us executing. An exception thrown is also a case where the program doesn't 'cleanly' return.. As in executing through the end. Exit call abruptly terminates the execution flow.