Perhaps this discussion is better suited for another mailing list, but in an attempt to bring it to closure...
Java doesn't expose its pointers for manipulation, but its object references can be considered pointers, if you like. Yes, Java is a "pass-by-value" language on the surface, but it uses "pass-by-reference" when passing objects (not primitives) around. Otherwise, it would need to perform expensive "deep-cloning" of objects before passing objects as parameters. I like to think of Java as doing "pass-reference-by-value" when objects are involved. Now I notice that the original message was posted to the J2EE mailing list too. Perhaps I should have left it to those folks to address. After all, we already receive a plethora of messages from this list each day. HTH Jim Bell -----Original Message----- From: Jonathan Gibbons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 9:02 AM To: Struts Users Mailing List Subject: RE: Java Trivia Java doesn't have pointers! Just mudying the waters, or was it serious? If so sorry. Think of it as chucking water over someone, as opposed to passing them a cup of water. Thats pretty similar. or, um, having someone talk to you, rather than pass you a piece of paper. hmmm. J, ---------------------------------------- Message History ---------------------------------------- From: "Galbreath, Mark" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 01/02/2002 08:48 EST Please respond to "Struts Users Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Mikkel Bruun'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Struts (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> cc: Subject: RE: Java Trivia Obviously, the first is passed by value, but the second? We know p will reference the same object it referenced before the method invocation - the memory location it points to is the same. Because p will always point to the same memory location, is it not also passed by value? ;-) -----Original Message----- From: Mikkel Bruun [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 8:44 AM Ehh... primitives vs ojbects??? by value or by ref... whats the point?? -----Original Message----- From: Galbreath, Mark To: Struts (E-mail); J2ee (E-mail) What's the difference between int i = 3; someMethod( i); and Point p = new Point( 3, 3); someOtherMethod( p); ? Mark -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- This e-mail may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient (or have received this e-mail in error) please notify the sender immediately and destroy this e-mail. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this e-mail is strictly forbidden. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
