Top Java Interview Questions And Answers

Java Interview Questions And Answers

Do you need help preparing for your Java programming interview? Worry not, we have a list of the top Java interview questions for you to crack the interview!

Java programming language is one of the leading programming languages in the world of computer science. It has been dominating the software industry for a long time. It is safe to say that Java is never going out of style!

Therefore, you need to understand the language and be prepared with every programming language concept to ace your interview and stand out from the competition. So, without wasting any further time, let us get into today’s agenda!

If you encounter any challenges while going through this article and require help with your Java Assignment, you have the option to enlist the services of skilled programmers at CodingZap. They are experts in the field and ready to assist you.

Summary Of The Article:

  • Preparing for a programming interview with Java interview questions can give you a headstart in the process.

  • Java interview questions that are commonly asked help the recruiter test your knowledge of the domain and check if you are the right fit for the position.

  • You may encounter some core Java interview questions related to OOPS, syntax, programs, and other important concepts.

  • Having a list of some most asked Java interview questions along with their answers can also help you with quick revision and preparation to clear your technical interview round.

Basic Java Interview Questions And Answers

Now, let us discuss some of the commonly asked Java interview questions along with their answers so that you can get an idea of how to face your interview questions smoothly. Let us dive in!

Java Interview Questions And Answers

Let us kickstart today’s topic with some of the basic Java interview questions you should know about the programming language. These questions will help you get an overview of the Java language. Read below to know!

Question 1. What Do You Understand About The Java Programming Language?

Java is a general-purpose high-level programming language that was released in the year 1995 by James Gosling. It is an object-oriented programming language that is used for multiple purposes including mobile, web, and game development.

It is a compiler-based language that converts the Java code to bytecode that is then executed by the system or the Java Virtual Machine.

Question 2. List Some Features Of Java.

Java is a popular programming language that is used for software development. Some of its features are given below:

  • It is an object-oriented programming language, which means, it makes use of objects (instances) and classes (blueprints for creating objects) throughout the program.

  • It is a high-performance language and is highly secure. This is because we do not need to share the Java program with the user while sharing the application.

  • It is a platform-independent language that can be run on any system.

  • It supports multithreading and is architecture-neutral.

Question 3. Describe The Concept Of Platform Independence In Java.

Java is platform-independent. This is because the Java compiler converts the code to a Java bytecode after compilation that can be run on any system irrespective of the software or hardware. The only condition that exists is that the system that is being used should have the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed.

Question 4. Explain The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Briefly.

After the compilation of the Java code, the JVM executes the platform-independent byte code. It provides the environment to run Java programs, manage memory, and handle garbage collection.

Question 5. Discuss JDK, JRE, and JVM.

JDK: The Java Development Kit (JDK) provides an environment for developing and executing Java codes. It is a package that offers the development tools to build your programs and the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for running them.

JRE: JRE stands for the Java Runtime Environment. You must install this package to set up an environment to run or execute Java programs or applications.

JVM: JVM or the Java Virtual Machine is a part of the JRE which is responsible for converting the Java code to bytecode for execution. The JVM is platform-dependent, however, the bytecode that it generates is independent of the system that you are using.

Question 6. What Is The JIT Compiler?

The JIT compiler or the Just-In-Time compiler is a component of the JRE. It is used to enhance the performance of the Java applications during run-time. It compiles the bytecode to native machine code during the run-time.

Question 7. How Is Java Different From C++?

While Java and C++ both are object-oriented languages, there are some differences between them. Some of the key differences are given below:

Platform-Independence: As we discussed earlier, Java is independent of the platform, whereas, C++ is platform-dependent.

Performance: C++ offers better performance in terms of speed than Java. However, Java is portable and more secure.

Applications: The C++ programming language is often used to build system applications. However, Java can be used for creating mobile, web, and gaming applications and scaling them as well.

Question 8. What Is A Classloader?

The class loader is responsible for dynamically loading Java classes and interfaces to the JVM during run-time or execution of the bytecode or the .class files. Due to classloaders in Java, the Java runtime system doesn’t require to have knowledge of files or file systems.

Java Interview Questions For Core Java Concepts

Java is a vast and comprehensive programming language. To master it, we need to know about the building blocks of it. So, let us dive deeper into the topic and discuss the Java interview questions and answers related to the fundamentals and core concepts in Java.

Interview Questions For Core Java Concepts

Question 9. What Are The Four Pillars Of OOP in Java?

The four pillars of object-oriented programming in Java are Abstraction, Encapsulation, Polymorphism, and Inheritance.

Question 10. Can We Call Java A Pure Object-Oriented Language?

While everything in Java is under classes and objects, we cannot call it a 100% object-oriented language. This is because of the primitive data types in Java that are not objects. Moreover, static methods and variables also make it not a fully Object-oriented language.

Question 11. Are Object-Oriented Languages And Object-Based Languages Same?

No, object-oriented languages and object-based languages are not the same. An object-based programming language follows all concepts and features of OOP except for inheritance. JavaScript is one of the examples of object-based programming languages.

Question 12. What Is The Parent Class For All Java Objects?

The parent class for all the Java objects is the object class. The object class in Java provides all the core functionalities like toString(), equals(), hashCode(), etc.

Question 13. What Are Wrapper Classes In Java?

A Wrapper class in Java is an object class that encapsulates the eight primitive data types in Java. Therefore, we can say that we have 8 wrapper classes in Java. We can also create custom wrapper classes with the help of the primitive data types.

Question 14. What Is The Need Of A Wrapper Class In Java?

A wrapper class in Java performs data encapsulation on the primitive data types of Java. These are required as they provide us with the features like autoboxing and unboxing.

They are also used for methods that are used for type conversion. We also need them for synchronization in multithreading.

Question 15. What Is A Singleton Class In Java?

A singleton class in Java only lets us create one object of itself. It provides a global point of access to it. However, it is flexible and can also allow us to create objects other than a single object if there is a requirement for it.

To make a class singleton, we need to make it constructor private. We also need to define a public static method to access the instance.

Java Interview Questions For Fundamentals

Keep reading to learn more!

Question 16. What Is A Static Method In Java? Where Is It Used?

A static method in Java is associated with the class rather than a specific object. Static methods are used for utility functions that do not need an object state. They are also needed for working with class-level data.

Question 17. How Can We Check If Two Objects Belong To The Same Class?

We can check if two objects are of the same class by using the equals() method. It returns a true or a false value. A simple Java program showing the syntax for using this operator is given below.

				
					class HelloWorld {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String str1 = "Hello";
        int num = 10;
        
        System.out.println("Objects Of Same Class? " + str1.equals(num));
    }
}
				
			

Program Explanation:

  • Here, we have two objects str1 and num. These two belong to different classes, i.e. string class and integer class.

  • Thus, using the equals() method, we get the output as false.

The image below represents the output of the above Java program.

Two Objects Belong To The Same Class

Question 18. What Is The Java String Pool?

The Java string pool is where all the strings defined in a Java program are stored. It is a part of the heap memory. When a new string object is created, the JVM checks if it is present in the string pool or not.

The same object reference is given with the new variable if it is present. Otherwise, a new string object is created.

Question 19. What Is The Difference Between Instance Variables And Local Variables?

Below is the difference between instance variables and local variables:

Instance variable: An instance variable is created outside the method. The instance variable is invoked by the class directly. Instance variables have a default value and can be used throughout the class.

Local variable: A local variable is created or declared within the method. Local variables have no default value and their scope is also limited to the method.

Question 20. Differentiate Between Java Abstract Class And Java Interface.

Abstract class: An abstract class in Java includes abstract methods, non-abstract methods, and even final methods. It does not support multiple inheritance. Abstract class data members can have different access modifiers like public, protected, private, etc.

Interface class: A Java interface includes only abstract methods. It supports multiple inheritance. The data members of a Java interface are public by default.

Question 21. Explain The Difference Between Heap And Stack Memory

Heap memory: It is used for dynamic memory allocation. Here, objects and instance variables are stored in a heap. The memory management in this case is handled by the garbage collector.

Stack memory: The stack memory is used to store the temporary variables that are created when a method is invoked (function call.) Just like the stack data structure, it also follows the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) approach.

Question 22. What Are Class Variables In Java?

Class variables can be declared using the static keyword. They can be created anywhere at the class level and can only have a single value when applied to different objects. These are not associated with a specific object and hence are shared by all the members of a class.

Question 23. Explain The Line public static void main(string args[]) in Java.

In Java, the main function is declared using public static void main(string args[]). Below is the breakdown of its syntax:

public: It is used as an access modifier. It makes the main function globally available.

static: Static is the keyword that helps us prevent unnecessary allocation of memory.

void: Void in void main( string args[]) represents the return type of the main function. It depicts that the function does not return anything.

string args: It is used to store the command line arguments.

Question 24. Can We Override Static Methods?

No, we cannot override static methods as they are associated with the class itself and not a specific object of the class.

Question 25. What Is Dynamic Method Dispatch In Java?

In Java programming language, the process when a function call is made during the runtime rather than the compile time is said to be dynamic method dispatch. We can also refer to it as run-time polymorphism.

Question 26. Explain The Concept Of Method Overloading.

Method overloading, in Java, happens when we create multiple method signatures using the same name of a method. We can achieve method overloading by either changing the number of arguments a method takes or by changing the return type of the method.

Question 27. Describe The Concept Of Method Overriding In Java.

Method overriding occurs when two or more methods having the same signatures are present in different Java classes. We usually see it in inheritance and runtime polymorphism.

We need to take care of a few things while performing method overriding. The overridden methods are required to have the same method signature, return type, and argument list. In method overriding, there should be no restricted access between the methods.

Question 28. What Is An Instance Method?

An instance method in Java is a function that is associated with an instance, i.e., an object rather than a class. They can be used to call a specific instance of a class by using object references.

Question 29. What Do You Understand By Object Cloning?

The process of object cloning in Java is used to recreate a new object that is the same as an existing Java class object. The clone() method provided by Java is used for this purpose.

Weโ€™ve written a detailed article on git cloning into the existing directory.

Question 30. What Is An Access Modifier In Java?

An access modifier is a keyword that lets us know how can we access a particular variable, object, or function in Java. For example, variables having a private access modifier can only be accessed within the particular block it is declared.

Question 31. What Is Exception Handling In Java?

Sometimes, our Java program may encounter some errors while running the program that may terminate the program execution. Such an error is called a runtime exception. Writing a piece of code to tackle such exceptions is known as exception handling.

Java Interview Questions Based On Programming

You read the heading right! Not just theoretical, your interviewer might also ask your Java interview questions that require you to code at that time. But fret not, you can practice your Java programming skills as well!

Have a look at some of the programming-based Java interview questions and their solutions below!

Question 32. Write A Java Program To Reverse A String.

Below is an example Java program you can use to reverse a string. Look below!

				
					// for I/O operations
import java.util.Scanner;
public class StringReversalClass {
  public static String ReverseString(String str) {
    // create a new string here using StringBuilder
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
    for (int i = str.length() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
      sb.append(str.charAt(i));
    }
    return sb.toString();
  }

// main function
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);
    System.out.print("Enter the string that you want to reverse: ");
    String original = scanner.nextLine();
    String reversed = ReverseString(original);
    System.out.println("Original String: " + original);
    System.out.println("Reversed String: " + reversed);
  }
}
				
			

Program Explanation:

  • String reversal is one of the basic programs in Java. Here, we have two string objects, one for the input string and the other is the reversed string object.

  • The ReverseString() method is being used to reverse it instead of using the reverse method provided by Java.

  • The method creates a new object of the string class using StringBuilder.

  • We then iterate through the input string from the last index and keep on appending the characters to the new string.

Let us check the output given in the image below to see if it works or not.

Java Program To Reverse A String

Question 33. Write A Java Program To Find The Largest And Smallest Array Element.

Check out the Java program given below to find the largest and smallest array elements!

				
					import java.util.Scanner;

public class FindLargestSmallest {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    Scanner scanner = new Scanner(System.in);

    System.out.print("Enter array size: ");
    int size = scanner.nextInt();

    int[] arr = new int[size];

    System.out.println("Enter array elements one by one:");
    for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
      arr[i] = scanner.nextInt();
    }

    int largest = arr[0];
    int smallest = arr[0];

    for (int i = 1; i < size; i++) {
      if (arr[i] > largest) {
        largest = arr[i];
      } else if (arr[i] < smallest) {
        smallest = arr[i];
      }
    }

    System.out.println("Largest element in the array is " + largest);
    System.out.println("Smallest element in the array is " + smallest);
  }
}
				
			

Program Explanation:

  • So basically, in the above Java program, we are sorting the array and updating the smallest and largest elements.

  • We have initialized the zeroth index of the array as the largest and the smallest element.

  • As we iterate through the array, we compare the next index with the initialized largest and smallest element.

  • If this element is greater than the initial element, we update it as the largest element.

  • Similarly, if it is smaller than the initial element, we update it as the smallest element.

Let us see the output to get to know it in a better way.

Program To Find The Largest And Smallest Array Element

Check out our article on the top Java coding challenges! Surely they will help you improve your coding skills.

Conclusion:

I hope that by now I have provided you with enough Java interview questions and answers that you can use to prepare for your technical interview. From processes happening at compile time to performing exception handling, each concept is vital to go through before you sit for your interview.

Thus, taking a thorough look at the Java interview questions we provided you with will definitely help you to crack that interview. So, turn on your revision mode and get started!

…and of course, if you require any assistance with clearing a doubt or getting a deeper dive into the world of Java programming language, you can always avail of our tutoring services at CodingZap!

Takeaways:

  • In today’s article about Java interview questions, we saw and refreshed ourselves with the core Java fundamentals that can be asked during the interview process.

  • While there is a never-ending list of Java interview questions, it is important that we also look at the more frequently asked questions as they are usually based on the basic concepts of the language.

  • Java interview questions related to programming concepts are also essential to practice so that you can tackle live coding assignments during your interview.

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