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Java Java Objects (Retired) Meet Objects Creating Classes

Michael Wadsworth
Michael Wadsworth
394 Points

I'm confused about how a member variable is different from a normal variable.

I understand how variables work, and how to assign values to them, but why is it we have to use a member variable for the PezDispenser.Java field?

1 Answer

The difference between a member variable and a so-called normal variable is that a member variable is a member of an object. Which means that paticular variable is only accessible in reference to that instance of the object. Another instance of the same class would have its only instance of that same variable but the two would be located in different memory locations and be treated as completly different variables even though they have the same name.