Unveiling the Depths: Shallow Copy vs. Deep Copy in Java

source : algodaily.com

Introduction:

In the intricate world of Java programming, understanding the concepts of shallow copy and deep copy is paramount for crafting robust and efficient code. Shallow copy and deep copy refer to different ways of duplicating objects, each with its own implications for data integrity and memory management. Let’s delve into the depths of these concepts, exploring their nuances and providing concise code examples to illuminate their usage.

Shallow Copy:

What is Shallow Copy?

Shallow copy involves creating a new object and copying the contents of the existing object to the new one. However, the references within the new object still point to the same objects as the original. In other words, it copies the values of the primitive data types and the references to complex types, but not the actual objects.

How to Perform Shallow Copy in Java:

Shallow copy is often achieved through the copy constructor or by manually replicating the fields of an object. Let’s explore the copy constructor approach:

public class ShallowCopyExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Original object
        Person originalPerson = new Person("John", new Address("123 Main St"));

        //…