How to Retrieve the Hostname in Java 8 Without Hard-Coding

How can I obtain the hostname in Java 8 without hard-coding the value?

// Import necessary classes
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.UnknownHostException;

// Method to get the hostname
public String getHostname() throws UnknownHostException {
    return InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName();
}

In Java 8, you can retrieve the hostname dynamically using the `InetAddress` class, which allows you to fetch your local hostname programmatically without the need to hard-code values.

import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.UnknownHostException;

public class HostnameExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            // Retrieve local hostname dynamically
            String hostname = InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName();
            System.out.println("Hostname: " + hostname);
        } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
            System.err.println("Unknown host exception: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Causes

• Using hard-coded hostname values can lead to issues during deployment, especially in environments where hostnames may change.

Solutions

• Use the `InetAddress.getLocalHost().getHostName()` method to dynamically fetch the hostname.
• Ensure proper exception handling for unknown hosts by wrapping the code in try-catch blocks.

Mistake: Not handling the UnknownHostException when retrieving the hostname.

Solution: Wrap the hostname retrieval code in a try-catch block to handle potential exceptions gracefully.

Mistake: Assuming that the hostname will always return a non-null value.

Solution: Check for null values or unexpected results to ensure robustness in your code.