The following list summarizes the important points that were covered in this module with respect to Java Field Variables.
- Field variables may be declared using the modifiers
final, private, protected, public, static, transient, and volatile.
Local variables may be declared final.
- An array's dimensions must be specified using a pair of matching braces (i.e.,
[]). Braces may be placed to the right of the array type or to the right of the array identifier. Zero or more spaces may be placed around each brace.
this refers to the current object instance. super is used to refer to the variables and methods of the superclass of the current object instance.- Method modifiers are
abstract, final, native, private, protected, public, static, or synchronized.
- When an argument is passed to a method, the argument's value is copied before being made available to the method via a parameter.
- Static initializers are used to initialize the
static variables of a class or invoke the methods of static variables. Non-static initializers are used to update and invoke the methods of non-static variables.
- Java supports the
public, protected, and private access modifiers. It also supports package access, when no other modifier is specified.
- A method is overloaded in a class declaration when two or more methods have the same name but different parameters. That is, the methods differ in the number of parameters, types of parameters, or ordering of their parameter types.
- Overriding occurs when a method is declared with the same name, parameter types, and return type as a method that is inherited from one of its superclasses.