array1 = array2 if array1 be changed then array2 change automatically?

[oszc]

hi ,all
can i change array1 but array2 doesn't be changed by itself?

[oszc]

and can someone explain how array1=array2 works?

[sunde887]

 
int[] array1 = new int[10];
int[] array2 = new int[5];
array1=array2;

What it does, and why changes to array1 affect array2 and vice versa is this:

Both of the above declarations initialize an array object(the new keyword) on the heap. This object is pointed to by the variable name. When you re-assign, you are basically telling the variable name to point to a different object on the heap. So if you fill array 1 with data, and then set it to array2, you will have lost all the data in array1, since it no longer has a reference pointing to it.

As explained in the above, if both reference(variables) point to the same object on the heap, changes to one will appear to affect the other(it isn't really affecting the other since there is only one object being referenced).

[mr_j936]

Hello

I got into a problem because of this array pointer thingy, I need to make a copy of an array, then work with the copy, without affecting the original array. how can I accomplish that? how do I make a copy of an array that has different pointers than the original array? I hope someone can answer me soon and thanks

[Mustafa Shady]

array1=array2;

but as I know : you are making the object array1 = to the object array2;
I think it has no Link with the arrays without []

by my modest experience :)

[mr_j936]

I solved my problem, apparently using the arraycopy method copies the array and makes new references