# Information provided in SQL Exceptions

Derby provides the message, SQLState values, and error codes in SQL exceptions.

Use the `getSQLState` and `getMessage` methods to view the `SQLState` and error messages. Use `getErrorCode` to see the error code. The error code defines the severity of the error and is not unique to each exception.
Note: Severity is not standardized in Derby. Applications should not depend on the severity returned from SQL exceptions.

Applications should also check for and process java.sql.SQLWarnings, which are processed in a similar way. Derby issues an `SQLWarning` if the `create=true` attribute is specified and the database already exists.

- Example of processing SQLExceptions
  A single error can generate more than one SQLException. Use a loop and the getNextException method to process all SQLExceptions in the chain. In many cases, the second exception in the chain is the pertinent one.

Parent topic: Working with Derby SQLExceptions in an application