Additional Notes
What’s a design issue with setting mutable fields directly in constructors?
Track: Java
Topic: OOP
Focus: Constructors
Java: Constructors
Answer
It can lead to unintended side effects if the object is externally modified.
Directly assigning a mutable object (like a List) to a field in a constructor can introduce bugs if the original object is changed outside the class. Instead, make a defensive copy to protect the object's state. For example, in an Order class, copying the list of items ensures that changes to the list elsewhere don't affect the order.
Directly assigning a mutable object (like a List) to a field in a constructor can introduce bugs if the original object is changed outside the class. Instead, make a defensive copy to protect the object's state. For example, in an Order class, copying the list of items ensures that changes to the list elsewhere don't affect the order.
Topics: Constructors Java OOP