Java String Literals vs String Objects

Strings are one of the most used concepts in any programming language. When it comes to String manipulation Java is one of the best languages going around. The Java String Class has many in-built methods to do so.

In java, there are two different ways to create a String.

1. String literals

String str = "hello world";

2. String objects

String str2 = new String("hello world");

Both these two types of String end up in the Heap section of the Memory. But in two different sections. String literals go to the special section in the Heap called “String pool”. String objects lay out in the Heap as same as other objects.

String pool

String pool is a special place. It does not allow duplicates. Once we create a String literal as same as a one in the String pool, reference variable point into old string that was already there. For example,

String name1 = "sankha";
String name2 = "sankha";

after the first line, String pool will contain, a string called “sankha” and name1 will be pointed to that string. After the second line, String pool will not create a new String, name2 will end up pointing to same “sankha” String that already in the String pool.

String Objects

String name3 = new String("sankha");
String name4 = new String("sankha");

When we use String object to create new Strings, there will be two separate objects with the reference of name3, name4 will end up in Heap.

String are immutable objects in java. It means that it means every time string when was changed It will end up being creating new String. It will never modify the object that already instantiated in the Java Virtual Machine.