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Start your free trialBrendan Passey
999 PointsDifference between a method and a constructor.
I'm really not sure what a constructor is used for. I know that it differs from a method in that a constructor requires you to pass in an argument.... But that's about all I know about it.... What is a constructor?
3 Answers
Steven Parker
231,184 PointsA constructor is a special method that is automatically invoked when you create a new object instance, and never used for anything else.
A custom constructor can take arguments but the default one that the language provides for you when you don't write your own does not. And a constructor cannot return anything.
Ezekiel dela Peña
6,231 PointsThe main difference between method and constructor is
Constructor can only be could when you are creating an instance of object.
public class Game {
// This is a constructor
public Game() {
}
// This is a method
public void sampleMethod() {
}
}
NOTE: by default when creating a class even if you didn't write a constructor, Java will do it for you.
Example:
Game game = new Game(); // <--- this how you create an instance of for example a Game.
Now remember how do you usually call a method?
game.Game(); // This will not work since Game() is a constructor which should only be called when creating an instance
Now a method is something you could call after creating an instance.
game.sampleMethod();
Brendan Passey
999 PointsThanks guys I took a break and came back and worked through it all again. I understand this stuff now but thanks for the answers!