ArrayList and modifying objects included in it

Question

Say we have an ArrayList myArray. I want to modify an object by calling its function. If I do it this way, will the original object be changed or not?

myArray.get(0).myModyfyingFunction(); 

To clarify further - I am concerned if get() actually returns a reference to my original object or does it only return a copy of my original object.

Answer 1

get() will return a reference to the object, never a copy. Any modification you do on the returned reference will be made on the object itself

Answer 2

If you store any object in ArrayList, Object is not replicated and any change in object should reflect in object itself.

for example we have class NewClass

  public class NewClass {  private String mystring="";  /**  * @return the mystring  */ public String getMystring() {     return mystring; }  /**  * @param mystring the mystring to set  */ public void setMystring(String mystring) {     this.mystring = mystring; } 

}

here is code in main method of any other class

   List<NewClass> newclasses = new ArrayList<NewClass>();     NewClass class1 = new NewClass();     class1.setMystring("before1");     NewClass class2 = new NewClass();     class2.setMystring("before2");     newclasses.add(class1); newclasses.add(class2); newclasses.get(0).setMystring("after1"); System.out.println(class1.getMystring()); 

This will output after1.