Re: What is the difference between a name of an object and a reference
to an object?
Lew wrote:
Stefan Ram wrote:
Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> writes:
a reference can be stored in a variable or field that does have a name.
Nitpick: A non-null reference is a pointer to an object.
Nitpick: A field /is/ a variable, so there is no need
for ?variable or field?.
Variables are typed storage locations.
?A variable is a storage location and has an associated type?
JLS3, 4.12
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/jls/third_edition/html/typesValues.html#4.12
There are variables without names: The components of an array.
Variables (sometimes) have names; objects don't.
public class MyNamedObject {
final String name;
MyNamedObject(String name) { this.name = name; }
public static void main(String...args) {
System.out.println(new MyNamedObject("Bob"));
}
public String toString() {
return "Lew was wrong, my name is " + name + ".";
}
}
:-) Objects don't have intrinsic names.
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