final variables

[krussi rong]

Hi,
Here is the question:
class FinalTest{
final int q;
final int w=0;
FinalTest(){
q=1;
}
FinalTest(int x){
q=x;
}
}
why does code compiles correctly without any
warnings or errors for the final variables
redeclare?
thanks
Krussi

[Reid M. Pinchback]

- Declaring and initializing variables are two separate activities.
- For non-final member variables, there is a default initialization.
- For final member variables, there is no default initialization.
- Initialization doesn't have to happen in the same statement as the declaration, it just has to happen by the time you've completed construction of the instance (in the case of final instance variables; for final static variables it would have to happen by the time you've finished executing all the initialization blocks for the class)
[ May 02, 2002: Message edited by: Reid M. Pinchback ]

[Doanh Nguyen]

final variables
redeclare?
[/QB]

I think you mean reassign...
The compiler determines that there are no chance that the final variable q will ever be re-assigned, because neither constructor invokes the other. It means that each time an object is created, q will be initialized only once, either in the first or in the second constructor, never in both.
However, adding the this() call to any constructor will cause a compile error because there is a chance that q will be reassigned.

[krussi rong]

thanks all of you!
Krussi