Forget the 'cool guys', the best software engineers love Java.
I agree [with you] that Java invites you (nay, urges you) to use good engineering practices.
At least exceptions ensure (...) - at least in Java - that errors are forced to be dealt with in a certain way.
bulte-rs - orkoden: 0 - 1; I love Java for it's exceptions (and "the IDE's" telling me to catch them all).