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Doubt regarding abstract class

 
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Hi

I know that DateFormat is an abstract class. So I cannot instantiate an object of this type. But then how can I say:



How come I can declare and construct an array of DateFormat type i.e a class that is abstract? How does the JVM differentiate between the object instantiation and an array constructed to hold abstract class type objects?
 
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That's like asking how the grocer differentiates between some eggs and the box used to put the eggs in. They are entirely different things.

Creating an array of type X doesn't create any objects of type X, it simply creates an object which could hold such objects. The entries of that array are all initialized to null.
 
Mansukhdeep Thind
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Paul Clapham wrote:That's like asking how the grocer differentiates between some eggs and the box used to put the eggs in. They are entirely different things.

Creating an array of type X doesn't create any objects of type X, it simply creates an object which could hold such objects. The entries of that array are all initialized to null.



Thanks Paul..
 
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