kotlin try catch block with bundle.getString - exception

Question

We have intent extras that are passed back to an Activity
The code is written with Kotlin 1.3 and is posted below
We do not understand why the code needs to be in a try catch block
Our question is there a better way to write this code and can someone explain why the code requires a try catch block. We know it could be written with when.
The navigation back to this Activity is accomplished with various intents that do not always put all the values that the bundle gets.
One button uses this code
val intent = Intent(this,MainActivity::class.java)
intent.putExtra("FROM", "NEW")
intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_ANIMATION)
startActivity(intent)
While another button uses this code
holder.ivEdit.setOnClickListener {
//val rowid = friendList.get(position).id
val intent = Intent(context, MainActivity::class.java)
intent.putExtra("FROM", "UPDATE")
intent.putExtra("recordID", items.id)
intent.putExtra("PERSON", items.person)
intent.putExtra("PHONE", items.phone)
intent.flags = Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK
context.startActivity(intent)
}
Here is the code that is in the Activity that has the try catch code
The code is inside the onCreate function
try {
val bundle: Bundle = intent.extras
from = bundle.getString("FROM","")
txtPerson = bundle.getString("PERSON","")
txtPhone = bundle.getString("PHONE","")
if(from == "UPDATE") {
showMSG("To CANCEL use back button")
id = bundle.getInt("recordID", 4)
btnAdd.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
btnEdit.visibility = View.VISIBLE
btnViewList.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
etPerson.setText(txtPerson)
etPhone.setText(txtPhone)
}else if (from == "DELETE"){
showMSG("To CANCEL use back button")
btnAdd.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
btnViewList.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
btnEdit.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
btnDelete.visibility = View.VISIBLE
etPerson.setText(txtPerson)
etPhone.setText(txtPhone)
etPerson.isEnabled = false
etPhone.isEnabled = false
}else{
btnViewList.visibility = View.VISIBLE
btnAdd.visibility = View.VISIBLE
btnEdit.visibility = View.INVISIBLE
}
if (id != 0) {
//etPerson.setText(txtPerson)
//etPhone.setText(txtPhone)
}
} catch (ex: Exception) {
}

Answer 1

The guess here is that the Activity with the try catch is also navigated to by another activity that passes no information for the bundle so the bundle gets set to null
intent.extras must not be null so if it is null you need a way to deal with that fact
I do not see a better way around the issue than the try catch block
perhaps someone can offer another solution.