final instance variable

[sweety sinha]

public class Logger
{

private static int loggerCount = 0;

private final int logLevel;

private Logger(int logLevel) throws IllegalArgumentException
{
if(logLevel < 0 || logLevel > 10)
{
throw new IllegalArgumentException("logLevel can only take values 0 to 10");
}
this.logLevel = logLevel;
}

public static Logger createInstance(int logLevel)
{
Logger retObj = null;
try
{
retObj = new Logger(logLevel);
}
finally
{
loggerCount++;
}
return retObj;
}

}

how it is working ???
as we know that final member variable of type int has no default value , it need to be explicitly assigned the value at the time of declaration or in the constructor of the class.

correct me if i am wrong

[Ulf Dittmer]

or in the constructor of the class

Isn't that exactly what's happening?

[Przemek Malirz]

Inside Logger constructor:

this.logLevel = logLevel;

[Ashu Jain]

Hi,

Golden rule regarding default values of fields is::

If no intialization is provided for an instance variable either in the declaration or in constructor or in instance initiatlizer block then it is automatically initialized with the default value of its type when the class is instantiated.

So in above program, the instance variable is initialized with default value = 0.(int default value)

I hope that explains.

Ashu
- SCJP 1.4

[ankit kumar]

private Logger(int logLevel) throws IllegalArgumentException
{
if(logLevel < 0 || logLevel > 10)
{
throw new IllegalArgumentException("logLevel can only take values 0 to 10");
}
this.logLevel = logLevel;
}


In this constructor you are assiging the value to the logLevel . before this you are not using it thats why is not giving you the error otherwise it will give you the error The blank final field logLevel may not have been initialized

[sweety sinha]

thanks guys, i didn't read it correctly

[Arun Krishnan Nair]

Why the variable logLevel is declared as final?

[geet kaur]

hi....
i just faced the same problem of declaring final variables...
we have to initiaze at the same time as well as the same line where it is declared..otherwise it eill give the compiler error...the variable might not have been initialised....

[Ankit Garg]

Even when you initialize a final constant at the time of declaration, you have to initialize it with another compile time constant or literal to make it a compile time constant.

int a = 10;
final int b = a;//not a compile time constant....