In Java, the final keyword is used to express immutability, which can improve code security and maintainability. 1. Once the final variable is assigned, it cannot be changed, the basic type value remains unchanged, the reference type address remains unchanged but the content is variable; 2. The final method cannot be rewritten by subclasses, which helps protect the core logic; 3. The final class cannot be inherited and is suitable for scenarios where intactness is required; 4. Misunderstandings should be avoided when using it. If final is not abused for optimization, note that final does not mean completely immutable, and reasonable use can enhance code clarity.
In Java, final
is a very common but misunderstood keyword. It is not just used to modify variables, methods and classes, but more importantly, the semantics it expresses: immutability. Understanding the usage of final
can help you write safer, clearer and maintainable code.

1. Final variable: Once the value is set, it cannot be changed.
When you declare a variable as final
, it means that its value cannot be modified. This applies to primitive types and reference types, but be aware of the difference:

- For basic types (such as
int
,boolean
),final
means that the value of the variable cannot be changed anymore. - For object reference,
final
means that the reference address cannot be changed, but the content of the object itself can be modified.
For example:
final int x = 10; x = 20; // Compile error, cannot reassign final List<String> list = new ArrayList<>(); list.add("hello"); // Allow, because the object content can be changed list = new ArrayList<>(); // Compile error, the reference cannot be changed
Usage scenarios include defining constants, preventing variables from being modified unexpectedly, ensuring visibility in multiple threads, etc.

2. Final method: prevent subclass rewrite
Mark a method as final
, indicating that this method cannot be overridden by subclasses. This is very useful for ensuring that certain logic is not modified, such as some core security checks or state management methods.
class Parent { final void checkSecurity() { // This method cannot be modified by subclasses} }
The benefit of doing this is to increase security, but also potentially lead to performance optimization (although modern JVMs have rarely relied on this optimization).
Need to note:
- Private methods are final by default because they cannot be inherited.
- If a class is final, all its methods are automatically final.
3. Final class: cannot be inherited
If you want a class to not be inherited, declare it as final
. Common examples, for example, String
class is final.
final class MyFinalClass { // ... } class SubClass extends MyFinalClass { // Compile Error}
This is usually done for design limitations, such as ensuring class immutability, package internal implementation details, or for security reasons.
But also be careful that abuse of final classes will reduce the scalability of the code, so you should use it with caution.
4. Use suggestions and common misunderstandings
- Don't add final for "optimization" : Modern JVMs are smart and don't need to manually add final to each variable or method to improve performance.
- final does not equal immutable : especially for collection classes, even if the reference is final, the collection content can still be changed. To truly achieve immutability, additional encapsulation is required.
- Use final rationally to improve code readability : for example, using final variables in interface callbacks and lambda expressions can make the logic clearer and avoid concurrency problems.
In general, final
is a good tool to express intentions, but in actual encoding, it is necessary to decide whether to use it according to the specific situation. Mastering it not only helps write more robust code, but also allows you to better understand Java's object-oriented mechanism.
Basically all that is it. If you use it too much, you will find that it is not complicated, but it is easy to ignore the details.
The above is the detailed content of Understanding the Usage of the 'final' Keyword in Java. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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