What is this?

[Shawn Lo]

class Foof {
final int whuffie;

Foof(){
whuffie = 42;
}

}

The Foof() in line 4 looks strange. I know it cannot be a method, because it does not have public/private, it does not have void or non-void.
So, what is it?

Thanks you.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Methods do not have to have a visibility modifier. But this is not a method, it is a constructor, that is called when you want to create an object of this type.

Foof foof = new Foof();//calls the constructor and sets the reference foof to the new object
[ August 12, 2006: Message edited by: Rusty Shackleford ]

[Allen Bandela]

Constructors do not have a return type

[Chris Everty]

I know it cannot be a method, because it does not have public/private,

If you leave out a visibility modifier it has default that in effect means that the constructor is only package wide visible.

package com.myname.mycoolpackage;
 
class Foof {
  final int whuffie; // also package wide visible, as not set private
 
  Foof(){
    whuffie = 42;
  }
 
}

So every other class that belongs to the package "com.myname.mycoolpackage" may access the constructor "Foof", but also the attribute "whuffie". Every class outside "com.myname.mycoolpackage" cannot see the constructor and also not "whuffie".

[paramu iyer]

Constructors can have public/private Access Specifiers.