Final answer:
The correct answer to when a finally block is executed is (c) whether an exception is thrown or not. It always executes after the try block and, if applicable, the catch block. This ensures that the finally block is run no matter what happens in the try block.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is (c) A finally block is executed whether an exception is thrown or not. In Java, the finally block is associated with a try-catch block and is used for code that must be executed no matter what – whether an exception occurs or not. Here's how it works:
- If an exception occurs in the try block and is caught by a catch block, the finally block executes after the catch block.
- If no exception occurs in the try block, the finally block executes immediately after the try block.
- If an exception is thrown in the try block but not caught (because a matching catch is not present), the finally block still executes before the method exits or the exception propagates up the call stack.
Option (d), stating that the finally block is executed only if an exception occurs, is incorrect because the finally block is also executed when no exceptions are thrown. Option (a), which says the finally block is executed before the catch block but after the try block, is incorrect because the finally block always executes after the catch block (if the catch block is invoked). Option (b), implying that the finally block's execution solely depends on the catch block's execution, is also incorrect due to the fact that the finally block executes regardless of whether a catch block is executed or not.