What is the difference between exceptions that inherit from the Error class and exceptions that inherit from the Exception class?

In Java, exceptions are events that occur during the execution of a program that disrupts the normal flow of instructions. Java exceptions are handled using a hierarchy of exception classes, which are divided into two main categories: those that inherit from the `Error` class and those that inherit from the `Exception` class.

The main difference between the Error and Exception classes is that the Error class is used for serious problems that a reasonable Java application should not try to catch, while the Exception class is used for situations that an application can recover from.

Java `Error` class represents serious issues that are generally not handled by a Java program. These are errors that cannot be recovered from, such as a stack overflow. Examples of exceptions that inherit from the `Error` class include: - `OutOfMemoryError`: Thrown when the Java Virtual Machine cannot allocate an object because it is out of memory. - `StackOverflowError`: Thrown when a stack overflow occurs because an application recurses too deeply.

Java `Exception` class represents problems that can be handled by a Java program. These are situations where we can take action to fix the problem or at least inform the user about the issue. Examples of exceptions that inherit from the `Exception` class include: - `IOException`: Thrown when there is an input or output failure while reading or writing a file, network connection, or other resource. - `NullPointerException`: Thrown when an application attempts to use a null reference in a case where an object is required. - `ArithmeticException`: Thrown when an exceptional arithmetic condition has occurred, such as dividing by zero.

Exceptions that inherit from the Exception class are further divided into two categories: checked and unchecked exceptions. - Checked exceptions: These are exceptions that a Java application must catch or explicitly specify that it might throw using `throws` keyword. Examples of checked exceptions include `IOException`, `FileNotFoundException`, and `ClassNotFoundException`. - Unchecked exceptions: These exceptions inherit from the `RuntimeException` class and do not need to be caught or specified as throwing them. Examples of unchecked exceptions include `NullPointerException`, `ArithmeticException`, and `IndexOutOfBoundsException`. In conclusion, the key difference between exceptions that inherit from the `Error` class and those that inherit from the `Exception` class is the severity of the problem and whether the application should handle the exception. Error class exceptions represent severe problems that an application generally cannot recover from, while Exception class exceptions represent situations that can be handled and allow the application to recover or gracefully exit.