for this method
public void testMethod( String paramString)
{
String copyString = paramString;
}
does copyString create a new copy in memory of paramString?
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3 Answers
In your example, paramString is a variable of a reference type, String to be exact. paramString holds the value of a reference to a String object. When you do
String copyString = paramString;
you are copying the value of that reference and assigning that copy to a second variable, copyString. You aren't copying an object, you are copying the value of a reference.
answered Dec 5, 2013 at 4:26
Sotirios Delimanolis
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Comments
No, you provide a reference to the same object.
The most important part here is that Strings are immutable. Even though these two objects have a reference to the same object, they will not affect eachother once the reference has been assigned.
Since strings are immutable, changing the value of the string in one reference will simply create a new string and make the reference point to the new one. The old reference will remain untouched.
Comments
Just as the other answers state, you're making copyString point to paramString.
If you want to produce a copy of paramString you should perform this assignment:
String copyString = ((String)paramString.clone());
clone() is an Object's method, that means every object from any class will have it, and returns a new instance of an object with another reference, or simple, a copy. As it returns an object, you must do the proper casting.
