I'm a beginner. I want to know what an instance variable is.
An instance variable is a variable which is declared in a class but outside of constructors, methods, or blocks. Instance variables are created when an object is instantiated, and are accessible to all the constructors, methods, or blocks in the class. Access modifiers can be given to the instance variable.
Instance variables are specific to a particular instance of a class. For example, each time you create a new class object, it will have its copy of the instance variables. Instance variables are the variables that are declared inside the class but outside any method.
What is instance variable in Java? Instance variables in Java are non-static variables which are defined in a class outside any method, constructor or a block. Each instantiated object of the class has a separate copy or instance of that variable. An instance variable belongs to a class.
Instance variables are created when an object is created with the use of the keyword 'new' and destroyed when the object is destroyed. Instance variables hold values that must be referenced by more than one method, constructor or block, or essential parts of an object's state that must be present throughout the class.
In object-oriented programming with classes, an instance variable is a variable defined in a class (i.e. a member variable), for which each object of the class has a separate copy. They live in memory for the life of the class.
An instance variable is the opposite of class variable, and it is a special type of instance member. An example of an instance variable is "private double length"
Technically speaking, instance variables are objects stored in individual states in "non-static fields", that is, fields declared without the static keyword. Non-static fields are also known as instance variables because their values are unique to each instance of a class (to each object, in other words); the currentSpeed of one bicycle is independent from the currentSpeed of another.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instance_variable
You probably mean "instance" variable. It is a variable that is associated with instances of a class. For each instance of a class you create, that variable is also created.
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