Passing by ‘reference’ in Java

One of the first things that every Java programmer learns (or should learn) is that method parameters in Java are passed-by-value. That is the only truth and there is no so called ‘reference’ passing in Java. Every method call with parameters means that their value is copied in some memory chunk and then they are passed (the copied memory) to the local function to be used.

What is more important though is of what type is the parameter that is passed. Generally there are two different data types: primitive (int, char, double etc…) and complex aka objects (Object, array etc…). The thing that matters is what is the ‘value’ of them when they are used in parameter passing.

When we are passing parameters of primitive type we are passing the actual value of it. So if we pass an integer with value of 4, then the function will receive an integer with value of 4 as parameter value. However, if we pass parameter of complex type let’s say some object of class Company then the function will actually receive the pointer to real object location in memory. Or in Java terms, it will receive the copied value of the reference (address) to the Java object that we want to pass and use.

If in C++ we have: Company *c; to get the pointer , then in Java we have Company c; . It’s pretty much the same, the difference is how things are designed and implemented under the cover.

If we understand this, then we realize that even if there are no out parameters in Java when defining and implementing methods, we can still use the reference advantage to program that thing by our self.

To get things clear and imagine the picture we should actually see the picture, I mean the code.

For example we can use an array of size one to be our data holder. Passing and mutating data this way will change the real value that we want to be changed. An example code, try it:

package com.groggystuff;

/**
*
* @author Igor
*/
public class JavaArguments {

/**
*
* @param argument
*/
public static void mutate(int argument){
argument++;
}

/**
*
* @param argument
*/
public static void mutate(int[] argument){
argument[0]++;
}

/**
* @param args the command line arguments
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
// example pass by value
int i = 4;
System.out.println("Value of 'i' before mutation: "+i); //prints 4
mutate(i);
System.out.println("Value of 'i' after mutation: "+i); // prints 4

// example pass by value too
int[] j = new int[1];
j[0] = 4;
System.out.println("Value of 'j' before mutation: "+j[0]); // prints 4
mutate(j);
System.out.println("Value of 'j' after mutation: "+j[0]); // prints 5

}

}

Thanks for reading,

I hope this post will be helpful to you in solving the coding mysteries in life, or something similar.

Please comment if you feel that  your comment is needed. Or comment at will, just to say hi for example.