Constructor in Java

Unit-2

Constructor

Garbage
By
Collection UMESH PRASAD ROUT
Constructor
● Constructor is a special method that creates(constructs) object.
Hence the name constructor.
● It initializes the object(instance), means it initializes the
instance(non-static) data members in the object.
● Speciality of constructor :
○ Its name is same as class name
○ It has no return type
○ It is not called explicitly like other methods
● Constructors can have arguments like normal methods.
● Constructors can have modifiers like normal methods.
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Types of Constructor
● There are two type of constructor in Java
1. Default constructor/No-Argument Constructor
2. Parameterized Constructor
● If a java class has no constructor,compiler provides a default
constructor.
● But if there is any constructor defined by the programmer,
compiler does not provide any constructor.

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Default Vs Parameterized Constructor
1. Default Constructor
● Has no argument/parameter
● Used to initialize object with identical values
● There can be only one default constructor in a class

2. Parameterized Constructor
● Has argument(s)/parameter(s)
● Used to initialize object with different values
● There can be many parameterized constructor in a
class
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Default Constructor Demo Program
class Dcon public static void main(String []args)
{ {
System.out.print("Object 1 : ");
int a; Dcon ob1=new Dcon();
System.out.print("Object 2 : ");
Dcon() Dcon ob2=new Dcon();
{ }
a=7; }
System.out.println("a="+a); OUTPUT
} Object 1 : a=7
Object 2 : a=7

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Parameterized Constructor Demo Program

class Pcon public static void main(String []args)

{ {
System.out.print("Object 1 : ");
int a; Pcon ob1=new Pcon(9);
System.out.print("Object 2 : ");
Pcon(int x) Pcon ob2=new Pcon(7);
{ }}
a=x; OUTPUT
System.out.println("a="+a);
Object 1 : a=9
}
Object 2 : a=7
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Constructor Overloading
● A class can have multiple constructor.
● If a class has N number of constructor then, there is N ways of
creating object.
● If a class has multiple constructor, then the constructor is said
to be overloaded.
● Like method overloading all these constructor have same
name but different signatures.
● Many library classes have multiple constructor like
String,Scanner,Thread etc.
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Constructor Overloading Demo Program
class Mcon Mcon(int a)
{ {
int x; x=a;
int y; y=a;
Mcon() System.out.println("Sum="+(x+y));
{ }
x=7; Mcon(int a, int b)
y=9; {
System.out.println("Sum="+(x+y)); x=a;
} y=b;
System.out.println("Sum="+(x+y));
}
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Constructor Overloading Program Cont.
public static void main(String []args) OUTPUT
{
Mcon ob1=new Mcon(); Sum=16
Mcon ob2=new Mcon(5); Sum=10
Mcon ob3=new Mcon(6,9); Sum=15
}
}//end of class

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Garbage Collection
● In Java, garbage means unreferenced objects.
● Garbage Collection is process of reclaiming the runtime unused memory
automatically.
● In other words, it is a way to destroy the unused objects.
● To do so, we are using free() function in C language and delete() in C++. But,
in java it is performed automatically. Hence, java provides better memory
management.
Advantage of Garbage Collection
● It makes java memory efficient because garbage collector removes the
unreferenced objects from heap memory.
● It is automatically done by the garbage collector(a part of JVM) so we don't
need to make extra efforts.
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Ways of Object Un-referencing
1. By nulling a reference:
Student s=new Student();
s=null;
2. By assigning a reference to another:
Student s1=new Student();
Student s2=new Student();
s1=s2; //now the first object referred by s1 is available for garbage
collection
3. By anonymous object:
new Student(); 11
finalize() Method
● The finalize() method is called by default for every object just
before its deletion.
● This method can be used to perform cleanup activity before
destroying any object.
● It is defined in java.lang.Object class as:
protected void finalize(){ }
● It works the same way as the destructor in C++.

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gc() Method
● The gc() method is used for requesting JVM to run the Garbage
Collector.
● The gc() is defined in java.lang.System class as:
public static void gc(){ }
● Call syntax:
System.gc()

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Garbage Collection Demo Program
class GCDemo public void finalize()
{ {
public static void main(String args[]) System.out.println("Object destroyed");
{ }
GCDemo ob1=new GCDemo();
OUTPUT
GCDemo ob2=new GCDemo();
ob1=null;
Object destroyed
ob2=null;
Object destroyed
System.gc();
}

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