Does Java support pass by reference. If yes/no- why?

Questions by sha_kr2001   answers by sha_kr2001

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priyaranjan_BISWAL

  • Jan 3rd, 2008
 

Java does not support pass by reference. Java actually pass-by-value for all variables running within a single VM. pass-by-value means pass-by-variable-value and that means pass-by-copy-of the variable.

It makes no difference if you are passing primitive or reference variable, you always passing a copy of the? bits in the variable.

For example: if u are passing the variable with the value 3, you are passing the?copy of variable representing 3. If you are passing an object reference variable, you are passing the copy of the bits representing the reference to an object.

keshavgopal.se

  • Jan 9th, 2008
 

Yes , java do support pass by reference. when  ever we pass an object to the method it is call by reference only. The changes made for the state of the object inside the method call which is in other object will be reflected in the original object passed in ...

so this nothing but the pass by reference only.

cricketfan04

  • Feb 7th, 2008
 

Java is purely pass-by-value only. The confusion is because when an object is passed, the objects value which in this case is the memory allocation is passed. Since the object received in the method has the same memory reference, this seems like it is passed by reference.

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sampra

  • Feb 11th, 2008
 

Java is purely pass-by-value only. The confusion is because when an object is passed, the objects value which in this case is the memory allocation is passed. Since the object received in the method has the same memory reference, this seems like it is passed by reference...........

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ramesh124

  • Jun 8th, 2008
 

Java Supports pass by reference.
An object means, the variable which contains the starting location of its class.

When we pass the Object, it is internally getting the address of starting point.

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vegetto

  • Jun 9th, 2008
 

hi there,
                 the java technology supports a kind of pass by reference but this process applies only to the objects not the primitive data types ,i.e if you are familiar with c++ then you must be knowing that whatever changes you make in the the reference that are reflected back in call by reference, in the same way this happens in java but only in case of the objects.try a  programme in which you instantiate a class and try to modify the primitive data type by calling it from the main method and  kind of same process apply it to the case of objects ,you will find that only in the case of the objects the change occurs.for any further query please ask byeee

Naveenjavasun

  • Jul 8th, 2008
 

Java always makes a copy of arguments & pass the copy.The called method has a local copy of data.If the the method changes the data it changes the copy, So original value is not changed.
???????????? When we pass a prmitive like int ,the method gets its own int value.a copy of original.

?????? When we pass an Object, the value that is copied & set along a referance or pointer to the object.the method gets its own copy of pointer,it does not gets own copy of object.
??? If method changes the copy of pointer to point to another object the original pointer is not effected.

?? If the method changes the sme of the attribute of the object,it canges original object.

adurairaj

  • Feb 20th, 2009
 

Java does not support pass by reference.
To test it try the following code

{
myclass z = new myclass();
z.a=100;
test(z);
//the value of z.a will still be 100;
//if call by reference then z.a should be 50

}
public void test(myclass x)
{
x = new myclass();
x.a=50;
}

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hamidmushtaq

  • Apr 5th, 2009
 

In Java copies of references of Objects are passed. So everything is passed by value. Be it an object reference or a primitive data type. If you modify the object reference in a method, it won't have any effect on the referenced that was passed.

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Sarje

  • Aug 18th, 2009
 

Java supports pass by value only.
 
In case passed value is of primitive data type it is clear that this is pass by value.

But when we pass any reference variable value then confusion arrises because here changes are refelected in original object. In this case also copy of the reference value is passed but both original feference value and passed reference value denotes to the same object (because copy of the object is not created only copy of the reference is created) so the changes is reflected in original object.

uncer

  • Jan 17th, 2010
 

Java does not support pass by reference. Java actually pass-by-value for all variables running within a single VM. pass-by-value means pass-by-variable-value and that means pass-by-copy-of the variable. It makes no difference if you are passing primitive or reference variable you always passing a copy of the bits in the variable.

For example: If you are passing the variable with the value 3 you are passing the copy of variable representing 3. If you are passing an object reference variable you are passing the copy of the bits representing the reference to an object.

Regard
shahid

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DHARMPAL CHAUDHARY

  • Aug 11th, 2016
 

Actually it is clearly mentioned in Java documentation by Oracle that Java doesn't supports call by reference. Everything in Java is "Call by Value"

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Bala Challa

  • Aug 16th, 2016
 

In Java, primitives are pass by value and Objects are pass by reference.

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