How to Handle ArithmeticException When Using BigDecimal.divide in Java

What causes ArithmeticException when using BigDecimal.divide in Java and how can it be resolved?

BigDecimal dividend = new BigDecimal("10.00");
BigDecimal divisor = new BigDecimal("0.00");
BigDecimal result = dividend.divide(divisor); // This throws ArithmeticException

When performing division with BigDecimal in Java, an ArithmeticException may be thrown if the divisor is zero or if the operation cannot be represented precisely. The BigDecimal class requires defining a rounding mode when the division is not exact, typically involving repeating decimals.

BigDecimal dividend = new BigDecimal("10.00");
BigDecimal divisor = new BigDecimal("2.00");
// Provide scale and rounding mode to prevent ArithmeticException.
BigDecimal result = dividend.divide(divisor, 2, RoundingMode.HALF_UP); // result will be 5.00

Causes

• Attempting to divide by zero.
• Not providing a rounding mode for non-terminating decimal results.

Solutions

• Check for zero before performing division to avoid dividing by zero.
• Use BigDecimal.divide(BigDecimal divisor, int scale, RoundingMode roundingMode) to specify a precision and a rounding mode.

Mistake: Forgetting to check if the divisor is zero before division.

Solution: Always validate input values before performing a division.

Mistake: Not specifying a rounding mode for non-terminating decimal results.

Solution: Use the divide method with the scale and roundingMode parameters.