Since objects in Java are manipulated through reference variables, there is no direct way to copy an object. Classes that want copying functionality must implement clone() method to do so. This guide shows how to make a Java class Cloneable and perform a cloning.
A class to be cloned:
class Person {
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
private Person assistant;
public Person(String firstName, String lastName) {
this.firstName = firstName;
this.lastName = lastName;
}
public void setAssistant(Person assistant) {
this.assistant = assistant;
}
public Person getAssistant() {
return assistant;
}
}
Todos:
- implementing the Cloneable interface
- make Object clone() method public (by overriding the protected method)
- call the clone method defined in Object base class (to create a shallow copy of the object)
- deep copy (clone) all mutable objects in case a reference copy is not enough
Our cloneable class:
class Person implements Cloneable {
private String firstName;
private String lastName;
private Person assistant;
public Person(String firstName, String lastName) {
this.firstName = firstName;
this.lastName = lastName;
}
public void setAssistant(Person assistant) {
this.assistant = assistant;
}
public Person getAssistant() {
return assistant;
}
public Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException {
Person cloned = (Person) super.clone();
/*
If we don't do anything else, the cloned person
will refer to the to the same assistant object
as the original person.
In this example we want to avoid that
and make a deep copy of the assistant object as well.
*/
if (this.assistant != null)
cloned.assistant = (Person) this.assistant.clone();
return cloned;
}
}
How to clone:
public class Test {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
Person john = new Person("John", "Doe");
Person bob = new Person("Bob", "Gombocki");
john.setAssistant(bob);
Person johnsClone = (Person) john.clone();
System.out.println("John is cloned: " + (john != johnsClone));
System.out.println("John's assistant, Bob is cloned: " + (john.getAssistant() != johnsClone.getAssistant()));
} catch (CloneNotSupportedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Eddlogic 