Possible errata OCP Java SE 11 study guide - page 59

[Riffath Khan]

On page 57, the second sentence in the first paragraph reads, " These are not local variables". This refers to method parameters.

On page 59, the 3rd sentence on line 2 going onto 3, of the 1st paragraph reads," The piecesOfCheese variable is a method parameter and, as discussed earlier, it is also a local variable."

These are two contradictory statements.

xoxoxo

[Campbell Ritchie]

Please look in the Java® Language Specification. I can't remember what it says, but I think that local variables and parameters are regarded as distinct. There are, however, similarities to their behaviours.

[Jeanne Boyarsky]

I've added it to the errata. This is tricky. In the Java 8 version of the book, we often treated local variables and method parameters as if they were the same. Both have the same rules for garbage collection and variable scope. (page 59 is in the variable scope section).

However, in Java 11, we also cover local variable type inference. (this is on page 57 among other places). With local variable type inference, it actually has to be a local variable so this distinction now matters.

Good catch Riffath!