Difference between string object and string literal in java

Difference between string object and string literal in java

In Java, there is a distinction between a String object and a string literal. Understanding this difference is important because it can affect how strings are stored and manipulated in your Java code.

  1. String Literal:

    • A string literal is a sequence of characters enclosed in double quotation marks, such as "Hello, World!".
    • String literals are stored in a special area of the Java heap memory called the "string pool" (or "string constant pool").
    • When you create a string literal, Java checks if the same string literal already exists in the string pool. If it does, it reuses the existing instance, which helps save memory and improves performance.
    • String literals are immutable, which means their values cannot be changed after they are created. Any attempt to modify a string literal actually creates a new String object with the modified value.
    • String literals are typically used for string constants in your code because they are efficient and can be easily shared.

    Example:

    String literal1 = "Hello, World!"; String literal2 = "Hello, World!"; // Reuses the same instance as literal1

  2. String Object:

    • A String object is an instance of the String class in Java.
    • You can create a String object using the new keyword, like this: String str = new String("Hello, World!");.
    • Unlike string literals, String objects are not automatically stored in the string pool. If you create a String object using new, it will always create a new instance in the heap memory, even if an equivalent string already exists as a literal in the pool.
    • String objects are also immutable, so once created, their values cannot be changed.

    Example:

    String object1 = new String("Hello, World!"); // Creates a new instance in heap memory String object2 = new String("Hello, World!"); // Creates another new instance

In practice, you'll often use string literals for most string manipulations because they are more efficient and benefit from automatic pooling. However, there may be situations where you need to use String objects explicitly, such as when you want to create new instances for specific purposes or if you're dealing with strings from external sources.

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