CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javafinalgetter
budi
budi

Reputation: 6551

Java Final Getters

Given the following class:

public class SomeClass {

    private final int a;

    public SomeClass(int a) {
        this.a = a;
    }

}

Which is more appropriate in terms of completeness?

public final int getA() {
    return a;
}

OR

public int getA() {
    return a;
}

In my opinion, both are equivalent, so I wouldn't even bother putting final.

But for the sake of being complete, the first method seems more "correct" than the second.

Upvotes: 4

Views: 3874

Answers (3)

user3437460
user3437460

Reputation: 17454

When you apply final on different things in Java, it gives you an almost totally different meaning.

final on variables: Values cannot be assigned to it.

final on methods: Methods cannot be overridden by sub-classes

final on classes: That class cannot be extended by another class.

Hope that gives you something clear.

Upvotes: 7

Blake Yarbrough
Blake Yarbrough

Reputation: 2316

According to Oracle

You can declare some or all of a class's methods final. You use the final keyword in a method declaration to indicate that the method cannot be overridden by subclasses.

So it depends on what you mean by completeness. Practically however, it really depends on whether you want the getters to be overridden.

Upvotes: 1

rgettman
rgettman

Reputation: 178303

The keyword final means something completely different when applied to a method as opposed to applied to a variable.

On a method, it means that no subclass can override the method. It has nothing to do with not changing a value. So, your two choices are not equivalent, because of whether a subclass may override getA().

Upvotes: 12

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