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Strings in Java
In the given example only one object will be created. Firstly JVM will
not find any string object with the value “Welcome” in the string
constant pool, so it will create a new object. After that it will find the
string with the value “Welcome” in the pool, it will not create a new
object but will return the reference to the same instance. In this article,
we will learn about Java Strings.

What are Strings in Java?

Strings are the type of objects that can store the character of values
and in Java, every character is stored in 16 bits i,e using UTF 16-bit
encoding. A string acts the same as an array of characters in Java.

Example:

String name = "Geeks";

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Below is an example of a String in Java:
Got It !
 Java

// Java Program to demonstrate

// String
public class StringExample {

// Main Function
public static void main(String args[])
{
String str = new String("example");
// creating Java string by new keyword
// this statement create two object i.e
// first the object is created in heap
// memory area and second the object is
// created in String constant pool.

System.out.println(str);
}
}
Output

example

Ways of Creating a String

There are two ways to create a string in Java:

String Literal
Using new Keyword

Syntax:

<String_Type> <string_variable> = "<sequence_of_string>";

1. String literal

To make Java more memory efficient (because no new objects are

created if it exists already in the string constant pool).

Example:

String demoString = “GeeksforGeeks”;

2. Using new keyword

String s = new String(“Welcome”);

In such a case, JVM will create a new string object in normal (non-
pool) heap memory and the literal “Welcome” will be placed in the
string constant pool. The variable s will refer to the object in the
heap (non-pool)

Example:

String demoString = new String (“GeeksforGeeks”);

Interfaces and Classes in Strings in Java
CharBuffer: This class implements the CharSequence interface. This
class is used to allow character buffers to be used in place of
CharSequences. An example of such usage is the regular-expression
package java.util.regex.

String: It is a sequence of characters. In Java, objects of String are

immutable which means a constant and cannot be changed once
created.

CharSequence Interface

CharSequence Interface is used for representing the sequence of

Characters in Java.
Classes that are implemented using the CharSequence interface are
mentioned below and these provides much of functionality like
substring, lastoccurence, first occurence, concatenate , toupper,
tolower etc.

1. String
2. StringBuffer
3. StringBuilder

1. String

String is an immutable class which means a constant and cannot be

changed once created and if wish to change , we need to create an
new object and even the functionality it provides like toupper, tolower,
etc all these return a new object , its not modify the original object. It is
automatically thread safe.

Syntax

String str= "geeks";

or
String str= new String("geeks")
2. StringBuffer

StringBuffer is a peer class of String, it is mutable in nature and it is

thread safe class , we can use it when we have multi threaded
environment and shared object of string buffer i.e, used by mutiple
thread. As it is thread safe so there is extra overhead, so it is mainly
used for multithreaded program.

Syntax:

StringBuffer demoString = new StringBuffer("GeeksforGeeks");

3. StringBuilder

StringBuilder in Java represents an alternative to String and

StringBuffer Class, as it creates a mutable sequence of characters and
it is not thread safe. It is used only within the thread , so there is no
extra overhead , so it is mainly used for single threaded program.

Syntax:

StringBuilder demoString = new StringBuilder();

demoString.append("GFG");

StringTokenizer

StringTokenizer class in Java is used to break a string into tokens.

Example:
A StringTokenizer object internally maintains a current position within
the string to be tokenized. Some operations advance this current
position past the characters processed. A token is returned by taking a
substring of the string that was used to create the StringTokenizer
object.

StringJoiner is a class in java.util package which is used to construct a

sequence of characters(strings) separated by a delimiter and optionally
starting with a supplied prefix and ending with a supplied suffix.
Though this can also be done with the help of the StringBuilder class
to append a delimiter after each string, StringJoiner provides an easy
way to do that without much code to write.

Syntax:

public StringJoiner(CharSequence delimiter)

Above we saw we can create a string by String Literal.

String demoString =”Welcome”;

Here the JVM checks the String Constant Pool. If the string does not
exist, then a new string instance is created and placed in a pool. If the
string exists, then it will not create a new object. Rather, it will return
the reference to the same instance. The cache that stores these string
instances is known as the String Constant pool or String Pool. In
earlier versions of Java up to JDK 6 String pool was located inside
PermGen(Permanent Generation) space. But in JDK 7 it is moved to the
main heap area.
Immutable String in Java
In Java, string objects are immutable. Immutable simply means
unmodifiable or unchangeable. Once a string object is created its data
or state can’t be changed but a new string object is created.

Below is the implementation of the topic:

Java

// Java Program to demonstrate Immutable String in Java

import java.io.*;

class GFG {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
String s = "Sachin";

// concat() method appends

// the string at the end
s.concat(" Tendulkar");

// This will print Sachin

// because strings are
// immutable objects
System.out.println(s);
}
}

Output

Sachin

Here Sachin is not changed but a new object is created with “Sachin
Tendulkar”. That is why a string is known as immutable.

As you can see in the given figure that two objects are created but s
reference variable still refers to “Sachin” and not to “Sachin Tendulkar”.
But if we explicitly assign it to the reference variable, it will refer to the
“Sachin Tendulkar” object.

For Example:

Java

// Java Program to demonstrate Explicitly assigned strings

import java.io.*;

class GFG {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
String name = "Sachin";
name = name.concat(" Tendulkar");
System.out.println(name);
}
}

Output

Sachin Tendulkar

Memory Allotment of String

Whenever a String Object is created as a literal, the object will be
created in the String constant pool. This allows JVM to optimize the
initialization of String literal.

Example:

String demoString = "Geeks";

The string can also be declared using a new operator i.e. dynamically
allocated. In case of String are dynamically allocated they are assigned
a new memory location in the heap. This string will not be added to
the String constant pool.

Example:
 String demoString = new String("Geeks");

If you want to store this string in the constant pool then you will need
to “intern” it.

Example:

String internedString = demoString.intern();

// this will add the string to string constant pool.

It is preferred to use String literals as it allows JVM to optimize

memory allocation.

An example that shows how to declare a String

Java

// Java code to illustrate String

import java.io.*;
import java.lang.*;

class Test {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
// Declare String without using new operator
String name = "GeeksforGeeks";

// Prints the String.

System.out.println("String name = " + name);

// Declare String using new operator

String newString = new String("GeeksforGeeks");

// Prints the String.

System.out.println("String newString = " + newString);
}
}

Output

String name = GeeksforGeeks

 String newString = GeeksforGeeks

Note: String objects are stored in a special memory area known

as string constant pool.

Why did the String pool move from PermGen to the

normal heap area?
PermGen space is limited, the default size is just 64 MB. it was a
problem with creating and storing too many string objects in PermGen
space. That’s why the String pool was moved to a larger heap area. To
make Java more memory efficient, the concept of string literal is used.
By the use of the ‘new’ keyword, The JVM will create a new string
object in the normal heap area even if the same string object is present
in the string pool.

For example:

String demoString = new String("Bhubaneswar");

Let us have a look at the concept with a Java program and visualize the
actual JVM memory structure:

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

Java

// Java program and visualize the

// actual JVM memory structure
// mentioned in image
class StringStorage {
public static void main(String args[])
{
// Declaring Strings
String s1 = "TAT";
 String s2 = "TAT";
String s3 = new String("TAT");
String s4 = new String("TAT");

// Printing all the Strings

System.out.println(s1);
System.out.println(s2);
System.out.println(s3);
System.out.println(s4);
}
}

Output

TAT
TAT
TAT
TAT

String Pool in Java

Note: All objects in Java are stored in a heap. The reference

variable is to the object stored in the stack area or they can be
contained in other objects which puts them in the heap area also.
Example 1:

Java

// Construct String from subset of char array

// Driver Class
class GFG {
// main function
public static void main(String args[])
{
byte ascii[] = { 71, 70, 71 };

String firstString = new String(ascii);

System.out.println(firstString);

String secondString = new String(ascii, 1, 2);

System.out.println(secondString);
}
}

Output

GFG
FG

Example 2:

Java

// Construct one string from another

class GFG {
public static void main(String args[])
{

char characters[] = { 'G', 'f', 'g' };

String firstString = new String(characters);

String secondString = new String(firstString);
 System.out.println(firstString);
System.out.println(secondString);
}
}

Output

Gfg
Gfg

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are strings in Java?

Strings are the types of objects which can store characters as

elements.

2. Why string objects are immutable in Java?

Because java uses the concept of string literal. Suppose there are 5
reference variables, all refer to one object “Sachin”. If one reference
variable changes the value of the object, it will be affected by all the
reference variables. That is why string objects are immutable in Java.

3. Why Java uses the concept of string literal?

To make Java more memory efficient (because no new objects are

created if it exists already in the string constant pool).

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Article Tags : java-StringBuffer , Java-StringBuilder , Java-Strings , Java , Strings

Practice Tags : Java, Java-Strings, Strings
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