Must all final variables be compile time constants?

The final variables are not necessary compile time constants. For example, the following code shows that variable k is a final variable but not a compile time constant:

public class Program {

  void unflow(boolean flag) {
    final int k;
    if (flag) {
      k = 3;
      System.out.println(k);
    }
    else {
      k = 4;
      System.out.println(k);
    }
  }
 ....
}

A final variable may only be assigned a value to once. It is a compile time error if a final variable is assigned to unless it is definitely unassigned immediately prior to the assignment. A blank final is a final variable whose declaration lacks an initializer. Once a final variable has been assigned, it always contains the same value. (4.12.4 final Variables)

For a final variable to be a compile time constant, it must have an initializer and that initializer is a compile-time constant expression which may contain forward references to other compile-time constants What is a compile-time constant expression? The following is the definition from Java Language Specification 3rd Edition (15.28 Constant Expression):

A compile-time constant expression is an expression denoting a value of primitive type or a String that does not complete abruptly and is composed using only the following:

• Literals of primitive type and literals of type String (3.10.5)
• Casts to primitive types and casts to type String
• The unary operators +, -, ~, and ! (but not ++ or --)
• The multiplicities operators *, /, and %
• The additive operators + and -
• The shift operators <<, >>, and >>>
• The relational operators <, <=, >, and >= (but not instanceof)
• The equality operators == and !=
• The bitwise and logical operators &, ^, and |
• The conditional-and operator && and the conditional-or operator ||
• The ternary conditional operator ? :
• Parenthesized expressions whose contained expression is a constant expression.
• Simple names that refer to constant variables (4.12.4).
• Qualified names of the form TypeName . Identifier that refer to constant variables (4.12.4).

Compile-time constant expressions are used in case labels in switch statements (14.11) and have a special significance for assignment conversion (5.2). Compile-time constants of type String are always "interned" so as to share unique instances, using the method String.intern.

A compile-time constant expression is always treated as FP-strict (15.4), even if it occurs in a context where a non-constant expression would not be considered to be FP-strict.

Printer-friendly version | Mail this to a friend