[kerblang]

> Java's language design over-uses exceptions for error handling

No, library authors' design over-uses exceptions. Also refer to people using exceptions to generate 404 http responses in web systems - hey, there's an easy DDOS... This can include some of Java's standard libraries, although nothing springs to mind.

Exceptions are not meant for mainstream happy-path execution; they mean that something is broken. Countless times I have had to deal garbage-infested logs where one programmer is using exceptions for rudimentary validation and another is dumping the resulting stack traces left and right as if the world is coming to end.

It is a problem, but it's an abuse problem, not a standard usage problem.

[nightpool]

I agree with you that the root problem is that the library author's design over-uses exception. But when the library in question is the standard library and the operation is as basic as Integer.parseInt, then I think it's fair to criticize that as a language issue, because the standard library sets the standard for what is idiomatic + performant for a language.

[kerblang]

There is nothing wrong with Integer.parseInt(). It blows up if you give it invalid input. That's standard idiomatic behavior.

It might be helpful to have Integer.validateInt(String), but currently it's up to author to do that themselves.