Types of Java Variables

Table of Contents

Overview

In this tutorial, we will discuss different types of Java variables. Variables in Java can be broadly classified into three types:

Class variables
Instance variables
Local variables

Class Variables

Class variables are also called as static variables . Static variables are declared with the keyword static. Public static variables can be accessed with the class name outside the class. For example:

Dog.numOfDogs

Example

numOfDogs variable in the code snippet is a static variable. There is only one copy of the static variable per class.

static variables and object variables

Instance Variable

Instance variables are also called as object variables. Instance variables are created when the object is created and the memory is allocated in the heap. Each object has one copy of the instance variables. Variables that hold the state of the object would be declared as instance variables.

Variables name, height, weight are object variables in the example.

Local Variable

Local variables are declared inside the methods, constructors and java blocks. Local variables have limited scope. They are only visible in the declared method or constructor. They cannot be accessed outside the method.

Code Listing

package com.testingdocs.demo;

public class Dog {
 public static int numOfDogs=0;
// static variable or class variable

 private String name; // instance variables
 private double height; 
 private double weight;

 //Constructor
 public Dog(String name, double height, double weight) {
 this.name = name;
 this.height = height;
 this.weight = weight;
 numOfDogs++;
 }

 public void sound() {
 String dogSound= "bow-wo bow-wo";
//local variable 
 System.out.println(dogSound);
 }



 public String getName() {
 return name;
 }

 public void setName(String name) {
 this.name = name;
 }

 public double getHeight() {
 return height;
 }

 public void setHeight(double height) {
 this.height = height;
 }

 public double getWeight() {
 return weight;
 }

 public void setWeight(double weight) {
 this.weight = weight;
 }

 public static void main(String[] args) {
 Dog dogObject1= new Dog("Max",37.5,17.5);
 Dog dogObject2= new Dog("Tommy",30.0,12.75);

 }

}

Types of variables in Java