Yes, if you called myMethod() 10 times it will create 10 unique and separate objects.

The new keyword does exactly what it says on the tin, it creates a brand new object, irrespective of whether one already exists. It creates a new object and stuffs the reference to that object inside the variable it has been given, overwriting any previous value (object) the variable held.

Is the myObject variable reallocated every time?

Again, yes it would be re-allocated with a new object every time the method was called. An interesting note about this would be that the variable wouldn't "really" be re-allocated as you are defining the variable within the method body itself, so every time the method ends it will remove the variables that were defined within its' scope. So what it actually does is create 10 individual variables and assign 10 individual objects, although as I said the others should have been removed automatically so it wouldn't use any additional memory.

In a nutshell: should I write code like that only if I plan to invoke that method only once?

Well as I said, in the example above each object would be destroyed at the end of method execution (assuming you didn't assign the object reference to a variable outside the scope of the method) so in your example you could happily call the method as many times as you wanted but each time would in no way be connected to the previous calls.

I realise my way of writing can be confusing, so if you want me to clarify anything just ask.

Updated Answer to reflect edited question

'why not declare FileWriter, FileReader, BufferedReader and BufferedWriter at the top of the class as they did for the other variables?'

Okay, I assume you understand that the variables are not actually called FileWriter, FileReader, BufferedReader, and BufferedWriter, but rather this is the variable type. Their names are fw, fr, br, and bw. If you don't understand what I mean just ask. From now on I will refer to the variables by the names you did to make reading more easy, afterall fw just stands for FileWriter anyway so there should not be too much confusion.

The key to this question is hidden within the names of the variables themselves. Notice how they either end in Reader or Writer this can give us a subtle clue about their uses. Clearly FileWriter and BufferedWriter are to do with output in some way. By looking over the code we see that our suspicions were right and that at no point other than within the writeText(JTextArea area) method do these variables appear. So if the variable aren't used anywhere else within the code it would make logical sense to define and initialise them within the method that they are used in, not only does it make the code easier to read because we then "know" those variables are only related to that method, but also has the benefit of those variables being removed at the end of method execution, thereby not leaving variables in existence that were only used very briefly. By these rules we can say the same is true of FileReader and BufferedReader.

Observe this example about variable scope. (Look at the comments I added to the code)

public class DataBase {

private static String buf, retString = "\n"; // buf & retString - created
private static File file = new File("test.txt"); // file - created

public static void readText(JTextArea area) {   
    try {
        FileReader fr = new FileReader (file); // fr (FileReader) - created
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr); // br (BufferedReader) - created
        while ((buf = br.readLine()) != null) {
            area.append(buf); 
            area.append(retString);
        }
        br.close();
        fr.close();
    } // fr (FileReader & br (BufferedReader) - destroyed
    catch (IOException e) {
        System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
    }
}

public static void writeText(JTextArea area) {
    try {
        FileWriter fw = new FileWriter (file); // fw (FileWriter) - created
        BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw); // bw (BufferedWriter) - created
        bw.write(area.getText());
        bw.close(); 
        fw.close();
    } // fw & bw - destroyed
    catch (IOException e) {
        System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
    }
}
} // buf, retString and file - Still exist as long as the object exists

From this example it becomes more clear as to why the variables are defined in the methods rather than as instance variables and initialised within the constructor. It allows for much cleaner code as well as being more readabe.

Why doing it every time the method is called rather than using maybe the same instance variable?

Well this question has to do with variable types. We couldn't reuse a single variable for all the information as the types would have needed to be different.

If we take all the variables from the code

private static String buf, retString = "\n"; // valid
private static File file = new File("test.txt"); // valid

FileReader fr = new FileReader (file); // valid
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr); // valid
FileWriter fw = new FileWriter (file); // valid
BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw); // valid

Now we know that we cannot place a value that is not of the same type as the variable into that variable so something like

FileReader fr = new BufferedReader(fr); // Is not valid!

Because the types simply don't match.

Make sense?

Answer from linuscash on Stack Overflow
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W3Schools
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Java new Keyword
The new keyword creates new objects. Read more about objects in our Java Classes/Objects Tutorial. ... If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: [email protected]
Top answer
1 of 6
26

Yes, if you called myMethod() 10 times it will create 10 unique and separate objects.

The new keyword does exactly what it says on the tin, it creates a brand new object, irrespective of whether one already exists. It creates a new object and stuffs the reference to that object inside the variable it has been given, overwriting any previous value (object) the variable held.

Is the myObject variable reallocated every time?

Again, yes it would be re-allocated with a new object every time the method was called. An interesting note about this would be that the variable wouldn't "really" be re-allocated as you are defining the variable within the method body itself, so every time the method ends it will remove the variables that were defined within its' scope. So what it actually does is create 10 individual variables and assign 10 individual objects, although as I said the others should have been removed automatically so it wouldn't use any additional memory.

In a nutshell: should I write code like that only if I plan to invoke that method only once?

Well as I said, in the example above each object would be destroyed at the end of method execution (assuming you didn't assign the object reference to a variable outside the scope of the method) so in your example you could happily call the method as many times as you wanted but each time would in no way be connected to the previous calls.

I realise my way of writing can be confusing, so if you want me to clarify anything just ask.

Updated Answer to reflect edited question

'why not declare FileWriter, FileReader, BufferedReader and BufferedWriter at the top of the class as they did for the other variables?'

Okay, I assume you understand that the variables are not actually called FileWriter, FileReader, BufferedReader, and BufferedWriter, but rather this is the variable type. Their names are fw, fr, br, and bw. If you don't understand what I mean just ask. From now on I will refer to the variables by the names you did to make reading more easy, afterall fw just stands for FileWriter anyway so there should not be too much confusion.

The key to this question is hidden within the names of the variables themselves. Notice how they either end in Reader or Writer this can give us a subtle clue about their uses. Clearly FileWriter and BufferedWriter are to do with output in some way. By looking over the code we see that our suspicions were right and that at no point other than within the writeText(JTextArea area) method do these variables appear. So if the variable aren't used anywhere else within the code it would make logical sense to define and initialise them within the method that they are used in, not only does it make the code easier to read because we then "know" those variables are only related to that method, but also has the benefit of those variables being removed at the end of method execution, thereby not leaving variables in existence that were only used very briefly. By these rules we can say the same is true of FileReader and BufferedReader.

Observe this example about variable scope. (Look at the comments I added to the code)

public class DataBase {

private static String buf, retString = "\n"; // buf & retString - created
private static File file = new File("test.txt"); // file - created

public static void readText(JTextArea area) {   
    try {
        FileReader fr = new FileReader (file); // fr (FileReader) - created
        BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr); // br (BufferedReader) - created
        while ((buf = br.readLine()) != null) {
            area.append(buf); 
            area.append(retString);
        }
        br.close();
        fr.close();
    } // fr (FileReader & br (BufferedReader) - destroyed
    catch (IOException e) {
        System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
    }
}

public static void writeText(JTextArea area) {
    try {
        FileWriter fw = new FileWriter (file); // fw (FileWriter) - created
        BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw); // bw (BufferedWriter) - created
        bw.write(area.getText());
        bw.close(); 
        fw.close();
    } // fw & bw - destroyed
    catch (IOException e) {
        System.out.println("Exception: " + e);
    }
}
} // buf, retString and file - Still exist as long as the object exists

From this example it becomes more clear as to why the variables are defined in the methods rather than as instance variables and initialised within the constructor. It allows for much cleaner code as well as being more readabe.

Why doing it every time the method is called rather than using maybe the same instance variable?

Well this question has to do with variable types. We couldn't reuse a single variable for all the information as the types would have needed to be different.

If we take all the variables from the code

private static String buf, retString = "\n"; // valid
private static File file = new File("test.txt"); // valid

FileReader fr = new FileReader (file); // valid
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr); // valid
FileWriter fw = new FileWriter (file); // valid
BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(fw); // valid

Now we know that we cannot place a value that is not of the same type as the variable into that variable so something like

FileReader fr = new BufferedReader(fr); // Is not valid!

Because the types simply don't match.

Make sense?

2 of 6
4

Yes, a new object is created every time. The reference to each myObject is allocated in the stack.

In a nutshell: should I write code like that only if I plan to invoke that method only once?

If you want myObject to disappear after the method execution is completed, then yes. If for some reason, you need to keep a reference to it, then you can declare it as a class member.

class MyClass {
    AnotherClass myObject;
    void myMethod() {
        myObject = new AnotherClass();
        myObject.doStuff();
    }
}

This way, it will still be created each time you call myMethod(), but it will still exist after myMethod completes. This can be handy, or not, depending on the situation.

Does the complier skip that like of code as it sees that the object has already been created and the variable myObject already been assigned to such object?

This won't happen when using new. It is guaranteed that it will create a fresh instance. It can be implemented using FactoryMethods (not the compiler skipping lines of code, but preventing the creation of a new object). For example, the Integer class implements this: If you try to get an integer between -128 and 127, it will always return the same instance (won't create a new object) when using its Factory Method valueOf

 Integer five = Integer.valueOf("5");//Will always return the same instance.
 Integer otherFive = Integer.valueOf("5");

 assert(five==otherFive);//true

Of course, using new won't return the same instance, but always a new one:

 Integer five = new Integer("5");//Will create a new object each time.
 Integer otherFive = new Integer("5");

 assert(five==otherFive);//false

After question update

There's really not much to say about the code you added. However, if you take a look, you'll notice two methods. Based on its names, once seems to write, the other one seems to read. That behaviour is specific to each method, so the method that writeFile doesn't care about objects used for reading. And the method readFile doesn't care about objects used to write. So there's no sense on making a fileReader available to the writeFile method, and so on.

Coming back to your original question, yes, this instantiates a new object each time the method is called. It's not important. It's preferable to having to ask yourself "why does the readFile method has access to a FileWriter instance?

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Cach3
w3schools.com.cach3.com › java › ref_keyword_new.asp.html
Java new Keyword - W3Schools
Java OOP Java Classes/Objects Java Class Attributes Java Class Methods Java Constructors Java Modifiers Java Encapsulation Java Packages / API Java Inheritance Java Polymorphism Java Inner Classes Java Abstraction Java Interface Java Enums Java User Input Java Date Java ArrayList Java HashMap Java Wrapper Classes Java Exceptions
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Java Keywords
Java Examples Java Compiler Java ... Java Interview Q&A Java Certificate ... Java has a set of keywords that are reserved words that cannot be used as variables, methods, classes, or any other identifiers: Note: true, false, and null are not keywords, but they are literals and reserved words that cannot be used as identifiers. ... If you want to use W3Schools services as ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnprogramming › [java] what does the "new" keyword in java mean, in simple english?
r/learnprogramming on Reddit: [Java] What does the "new" keyword in java mean, in simple english?
October 10, 2017 -

I've just started learning java, and i'm not very familiar with the concepts of objects, i just started learning about taking in inputs in java and using scanner within the process. One thing I don't understand after I declare a variable and say it belongs in the class of a Scanner, why do i have to initialize it and type in "new Scanner(System.in)". I understand that the system.in used to get bytes from the keyboard but I don't understand why we have to use the new keyword and also Scanner after that.

EDIT : Thanks a lot for all the help everyone, i've now got pretty good understanding of the "new" keyword.

Top answer
1 of 5
66
Simply put, the new keyword creates a new object of the specified type. It does this by allocating memory for the object on the heap . So if you were to declare the following Scanner scanner1 = new Scanner(System.in); Scanner scanner2 = new Scanner(new File("some/path/to/file.txt"); You now have 2 different scanners that read input from different input streams. I don't understand why we have to use the new keyword and also Scanner after that. The reason why you have to use the keyword new followed by Scanner is you are telling Java to "create a new object of type Scanner, using the constructor Scanner(InputStream)"
2 of 5
16
Simple explanation: when you do int foo; there's no actual number in foo, you've created the variable, but not the value. Middle explanation: the new keyword actually creates the object and allocates memory for it. Deeper explanation: So you need to understand the concept of pointers. In Java you can't actually access pointers, but it's an important thing to understand. In languages like C a pointer is literally a number that's the memory address of something else. So your int* variable is a pointer, that tells you where in memory to find your int. This seems rather redundant at first, until you look at objects. The compiler has no idea how big your object is, or how big it might become. If you have an array in there it could be null or it could be a zillion items long. So, what does the compiler do? You do this: Image img; And the compiler says "OK, so we need to make sure we have enough space for one address (a handful of bytes), no problem". Then, later in the program, there's the line: img = open("vvvvvLargeImage.png"); And then the compiler can say "oh, that image is 100MB, let's allocate that much memory now". If the compiler had tried to allocate the memory before it knew what it was allocating it for it would be using more memory than needed, would need to free up that memory should the created object not fit in it and generally do stuff that's not needed.
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DataCamp
datacamp.com › doc › java › new
new Keyword in Java: Usage & Examples
Learn how the `new` keyword in Java dynamically allocates memory for objects, enabling class instantiation. Explore syntax, examples, and best practices for effective object-oriented programming in Java.
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W3Schools
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Java Classes and Objects
In Java, an object is created from a class. We have already created the class named Main, so now we can use this to create objects. To create an object of Main, specify the class name, followed by the object name, and use the keyword new:
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W3Schools
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Java Keywords - W3Schools
Keywords are words that have already been defined for Java compiler. They have special meaning for the compiler. Java Keywords must be in your information because you can not use them as a variable, class or a method name.
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NxtWave
ccbp.in › blog › articles › new-keyword-in-java
What is New Keyword in Java? | Learn Object Creation & Initialisation
The new keyword in Java is used to create objects, which are class instances. It has a role in allocating memory for the object and initialising it. When you use the new keyword, Java automatically calls the class's constructor.
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Javatpoint
javatpoint.com › new-keyword-in-java
Java new Keyword - Javatpoint
The Java new keyword is used to create an instance of the class. In other words, it instantiates a class by allocating memory for a new object and returning a reference to that memory. We can also use the new keyword to create the array object. - Learn basics of Java new Keyword
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Unstop
unstop.com › home › blog › new keyword in java | syntax, uses & more (+code examples)
New Keyword In Java | Syntax, Uses & More (+Code Examples) // Unstop
January 15, 2025 - It is an integral part of Java's ... memory on the heap. When used, the new keyword calls the constructor of the class, which sets up the initial state of the object. Additionally, it can also be used to create ...
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Java Syntax
Java OOP Java Classes/Objects Java Class Attributes Java Class Methods Java Constructors Java this Keyword Java Modifiers · Access Modifiers Non-Access Modifiers Java Encapsulation Java Packages / API Java Inheritance Java Polymorphism Java super Keyword Java Inner Classes Java Abstraction Java Interface Java Anonymous Java Enum
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Java Tutorial
Variables Print Variables Multiple Variables Identifiers Constants (Final) Real-Life Examples Java Data Types · Data Types Numbers Booleans Characters Real-Life Example Non-primitive Types The var Keyword Java Type Casting Java Operators
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Medium
medium.com › @rohitdoshi9 › what-does-new-keyword-do-in-java-c93d82b2a5f0
What does “new” keyword do in Java? | by Rohit Doshi | Medium
March 17, 2024 - To create an object in Java, you need to follow these steps: Declaration: You declare a variable of the class type. ... Instantiation: You use the new keyword to create an instance of the class.
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Java Modifiers
Java Examples Java Compiler Java ... Java Certificate ... The public keyword is an access modifier, meaning that it is used to set the access level for classes, attributes, methods and constructors....
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Java Class Methods
6) Then, go to the main() method, which you know by now is a built-in Java method that runs your program (any code inside main is executed). 7) By using the new keyword we created an object with the name myCar.
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Scaler
scaler.com › topics › new-keyword-in-java
New Keyword in Java - Scaler Topics
May 13, 2022 - The new keyword requires a single postfix constructor to instantiate the corresponding class. The key phrase “instantiating a class” can be described as “creating an object.” When we create an object, we are actually creating an “instance” of the class.
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Hero Vired
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New Keyword in Java: Uses with Examples - Hero Vired
January 22, 2025 - Moreover, after an object is no longer used, Java’s garbage collector takes care of the memory, freeing it up for the future. The new keyword is a savior in Java because it creates objects, a must-have for Java’s classes and methods.
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Java var Keyword
Java Examples Java Compiler Java Exercises Java Quiz Java Server Java Syllabus Java Study Plan Java Interview Q&A Java Certificate ... The var keyword was introduced in Java 10 (released in 2018).
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BeginnersBook -
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What is new Keyword in Java
May 13, 2023 - The new keyword is used to create an object of a class. It allocates a memory to the object during runtime. It invokes the specified constructor of the class to create the object. It returns a reference to the allocated memory. How to use the new keyword? The following syntax is used to create an