this keyword. optional or compulsive

[abalfazl hossein]

Is usage of this keyword in JAVA optional or Compulsive?

[Rob Spoor]

It's only required if there would be a naming conflict. The most often occurring example of that is in setters:

public void setField(int field)
{
    this.field = field;
}

Without the "this.", the statement would be an identity assignment of the parameter field to itself.

[marc weber]

Note that "this" is also used within a constructor to call an overloaded version of that constructor. (See Java Tutorials - this.)

[Bear Bibeault]

And I think you meant compulsory, not compulsive.

[Darryl Burke]

Bear Bibeault wrote:And I think you meant compulsory, not compulsive.

Never seen code where this is used at every opportunity?