Java - Object properties does not differ

Question

ClassName ref = new ClassName();
ref.setCredentials(Credentials);
ref.setVal(value);
ref.setUser(user);

Now when I create a new object of the same class reference, I still get the previous values I have set. Why is this so?

ClassName ref2 = new ClassName();
ref2.setVal(value);
ref2.setUser(user);
ref2.setSomethingNew(somethingNew);

My ref and ref2 instances have all the values [Credentials, Value, User and SomethingNew]. I want to differentiate these two instances. Is it because it's holding the same object?

Update My Lapse:

It's actually ref2 and not ref. I get the values in ref2 which i am not setting, and ref too holds a value which I am setting in the instance of ref2. Both are in same context.

I don't know why you use same value in both objects. The only way to detect objects are not equal is check based on Reference equality i.e. Check ref2==ref — Amit Deshpande
– Amit Deshpande, Commented Nov 2, 2012 at 10:14
@AmitD ref2==ref is what Object.equals is using that I already suggested. — dan
– dan, Commented Nov 2, 2012 at 10:17

Peter Mortensen · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-02 21:20:46Z

6

Note that with ref2 you are only creating the object, but you are setting the values to ref. You need:

ClassName ref2 = new ClassName();
ref2.setVal(value);
ref2.setUser(user);
ref2.setSomethingNew(somethingNew);

Note the ref2 change instead of ref.

If your ClassName is overriding the equals method, and all the inner objects are equal also, it is normal to have equality between ref and ref2. You can use Object.equals implementation to detect if the objects are different (note different vs. equal).

edited Nov 2, 2012 at 21:20

Peter Mortensen

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answered Nov 2, 2012 at 9:59

dan

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3 Comments

dan Over a year ago

@AmitD Can you provide more details? Maybe I'm missing something.

Amit Deshpande Over a year ago

@dan Edit was not detected by SO it took a while I guess to detect the edit.

dan Over a year ago

@AmitD Yes, it happened to me also, with OP's update. Something is slow today.

user647772 · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-02 09:59:18Z

3

If you set on ref even after creating ref2 this is what you should expect. Do this:

ref2.setVal(value);

Note: Don't do this:

ref.setCredentials(Credentials);

It sets the class Credentials on ref.

answered Nov 2, 2012 at 9:59

user647772

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