GATEWAY TO JAVA

What is the difference between final, finally and finalize?
final is used for making a class no-subclassable, and making a member variable as a constant which cannot be modified. finally is usually used to release all the resources utilized inside the try block. All the resources present in the finalize method will be garbage collected whenever GC is called. Though finally and finalize seem to be for a similar task there is an interesting tweak here, usually I prefer finally than finalize unless it is unavoidable. This is because the code in finally block is guaranteed of execution irrespective of occurrence of exception, while execution of finalize is not guarenteed.finalize method is called by the garbage collector on an object when the garbage collector determines that there are no more references to the object. Presumably the garbage collector will, like its civil servant namesake, visit the heap on a regular basis to clean up resources that are no longer in use. Garbage collection exists to prevent programmers from calling delete. This is a wonderful feature. For example, if you can't call delete, then you can't accidentally call delete twice on the same object. However, removing delete from the language is not the same thing as automatically cleaning up. To add to it, Garbage collection might not ever run. If garbage collection runs at all, and an object is no longer referenced, then that object's finalize will run. Also, across multiple objects, finalize order is not predictable. The correct approach to resource cleanup in Java language programs does not rely on finalize. Instead, you simply write explicit close methods for objects that wrap native resources. If you take this approach, you must document that the close method exists and when it should be called. Callers of the object must then remember to call close when they are finished with a resource.

What's the difference between the methods sleep() and wait()
The code sleep(1000); puts thread aside for exactly one second. The code wait(1000), causes a wait of up to one second. A thread could stop waiting earlier if it receives the notify() or notifyAll() call. The method wait() is defined in the class Object and the method sleep() is defined in the class Thread.

The following statement prints true or false, why?
byte[] a = { 1, 2, 3 };,
byte[] b = (byte[]) a.clone();
System.out.println(a == b);
The false will be printed out. Because the two arrays have distinctive memory addresses. Starting in Java 1.2, we can use java.util.Arrays.equals(a, b) to compare whether two arrays have the same contents.

Why do we need to use getSystemResource() and getSystemResources() method to load resources?
Because we want to look for resources strictly from the system classpath, These methods use the system ClassLoader to locate resources, which gives you stricter control of the resources used by the application.

ArithmeticException?
The ArithmeticException is thrown when integer is divided by zero or taking the remainder of a number by zero. It is never thrown in floating-point operations.

What is a transient variable?
A transient variable is a variable that may not be serialized.

Which containers use a border Layout as their default layout?
The window, Frame and Dialog classes use a border layout as their default layout.

Why do threads block on I/O?
Threads block on I/O (that is enters the waiting state) so that other threads may execute while the I/O Operation is performed.

What is the output from System.out.println("Hello"+null);?
Hellonull

What is synchronization and why is it important?
With respect to multithreading, synchronization is the capability to control the access of multiple threads to shared resources. Without synchronization, it is possible for one thread to modify a shared object while another thread is in the process of using or updating that object's value. This often leads to significant errors.

Can a lock be acquired on a class?
Yes, a lock can be acquired on a class. This lock is acquired on the class's Class object.

What's new with the stop(), suspend() and resume() methods in JDK 1.2?
The stop(), suspend() and resume() methods have been deprecated in JDK 1.2.

Is null a keyword?
The null value is not a keyword.

What is the preferred size of a component?
The preferred size of a component is the minimum component size that will allow the component to display normally.

What is Collection API ?
The Collection API is a set of classes and interfaces that support operation on collections of objects. These classes and interfaces are more flexible, more powerful, and more regular than the vectors, arrays, and hashtables if effectively replaces.
Example of classes: HashSet, HashMap, ArrayList, LinkedList, TreeSet and TreeMap.
Example of interfaces: Collection, Set, List and Map.

Is Iterator a Class or Interface? What is its use?
Answer: Iterator is an interface which is used to step through the elements of a Collection.

What is similarities/difference between an Abstract class and Interface?
Differences are as follows:
Interfaces provide a form of multiple inheritance. A class can extend only one other class. Interfaces are limited to public methods and constants with no implementation. Abstract classes can have a partial implementation, protected parts, static methods, etc.
A Class may implement several interfaces. But in case of abstract class, a class may extend only one abstract class. Interfaces are slow as it requires extra indirection to to find corresponding method in in the actual class. Abstract classes are fast.

Similarities:

Neither Abstract classes or Interface can be instantiated.

How to define an Abstract class?
A class containing abstract method is called Abstract class. An Abstract class can't be instantiated.
Example of Abstract class:
abstract class testAbstractClass {
protected String myString;
public String getMyString() {
return myString;
}
public abstract string anyAbstractFunction();
}

How to define an Interface in Java ?
In Java Interface defines the methods but does not implement them. Interface can include constants. A class that implements the interfaces is bound to implement all the methods defined in Interface.
Emaple of Interface:

public interface sampleInterface {
public void functionOne();

public long CONSTANT_ONE = 1000;
}

If a class is located in a package, what do you need to change in the OS environment to be able to use it?

You need to add a directory or a jar file that contains the package directories to the CLASSPATH environment variable. Let's say a class Employee belongs to a package com.xyz.hr; and is located in the file c:\dev\com\xyz\hr\Employee.java. In this case, you'd need to add c:\dev to the variable CLASSPATH. If this class contains the method main(), you could test it from a command prompt window as follows:
c:\>java com.xyz.hr.Employee

How many methods in the Serializable interface?
There is no method in the Serializable interface. The Serializable interface acts as a marker, telling the object serialization tools that your class is serializable.

How many methods in the Externalizable interface?
There are two methods in the Externalizable interface. You have to implement these two methods in order to make your class externalizable. These two methods are readExternal() and writeExternal().

What is the difference between Serializalble and Externalizable interface?
When you use Serializable interface, your class is serialized automatically by default. But you can override writeObject() and readObject() two methods to control more complex object serailization process. When you use Externalizable interface, you have a complete control over your class's serialization process.

What is a transient variable in Java?
A transient variable is a variable that may not be serialized. If you don't want some field to be serialized, you can mark that field transient or static.

Which containers use a border layout as their default layout?
The Window, Frame and Dialog classes use a border layout as their default layout.

How are Observer and Observable used?
Objects that subclass the Observable class maintain a list of observers. When an Observable object is updated, it invokes the update() method of each of its observers to notify the observers that it has changed state. The Observer interface is implemented by objects that observe Observable objects.