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List of all Java Keywords

Keywords or Reserved words are the words in a
language that are used for some internal process or
represent some predefined actions. These words are
therefore not allowed to use as variable names or
objects. If we do we will get a compile-time error as
shown below as follows:

Illustration:

Java

// Java Program to Illustrate What If

// Code Contributed by @Shubham Jain

class HelloWorld {
public static void main(String[] a
{

int this = "Hello World!"; //

System.out.println(this);
}
}

Output:

Errors in Code : Compiler Error

prog.java:11: error: not a statement

int this = "Hello World!"; // Note "this

prog.java:11: error: ';' expected

int this = "Hello World!"; // Note "this

2 errors

Java contains a list of keywords or reserved words

which are also highlighted with different colors be it an
IDE or editor in order to segregate the differences
between flexible words and reserved words. They are
listed below in the table with the primary action
associated with them.

S.No Keyword Usage

Specifies that a class or method

1. abstract will be implemented later, in a
subclass

Assert describes a predicate

placed in a java program to
2. assert indicate that the developer thinks
that the predicate is always true at
that place.

A data type that can hold True and

3. boolean
False values only

A control statement for breaking

4. break
out of loops.

A data type that can hold 8-bit

5. byte
data values

Used in switch statements to mark

6. case
blocks of text

Catches exceptions generated by

7. catch
try statements

A data type that can hold

8. char unsigned 16-bit Unicode
characters

9. class Declares a new class

10. continue Sends control back outside a loop

Specifies the default block of

11. default
code in a switch statement

12. do Starts a do-while loop

A data type that can hold 64-bit

13. double
floating-point numbers

Indicates alternative branches in

14. else
an if statement

A Java keyword is used to declare

an enumerated type.
15. enum
Enumerations extend the base
class.

Indicates that a class is derived

16. extends
from another class or interface

Indicates that a variable holds a

17. final constant value or that a method
will not be overridden

Indicates a block of code in a try-

18. finally catch structure that will always be
executed

A data type that holds a 32-bit

19. float
floating-point number

20. for Used to start a for loop

Tests a true/false expression and

21. if
branches accordingly

Specifies that a class implements

22. implements
an interface

23. import References other classes

Indicates whether an object is an

24. instanceof instance of a specific class or
implements an interface

A data type that can hold a 32-bit

25. int
signed integer

26. interface Declares an interface

A data type that holds a 64-bit

27. long
integer

Specifies that a method is

28. native implemented with native
(platform-specific) code

29. new Creates new objects

This indicates that a reference

30. null
does not refer to anything

31. package Declares a Java package

An access specifier indicating that

a method or variable may be
32. private
accessed only in the class it’s
declared in

An access specifier indicating that

a method or variable may only be
accessed in the class it’s declared
33. protected
in (or a subclass of the class it’s
declared in or other classes in the
same package)

An access specifier used for

classes, interfaces, methods, and
variables indicating that an item is
34. public
accessible throughout the
application (or where the class
that defines it is accessible)

Sends control and possibly a

35. return return value back from a called
method

A data type that can hold a 16-bit

36. short
integer

Indicates that a variable or

method is a class method (rather
37 static
than being limited to one
particular object)

A Java keyword is used to restrict

the precision and rounding of
38. strictfp
floating-point calculations to
ensure portability.

Refers to a class’s base class

39. super (used in a method or class
constructor)

A statement that executes code

40. switch
based on a test value

Specifies critical sections or

41. synchronized
methods in multithreaded code

Refers to the current object in a

42. this
method or constructor

43. throw Creates an exception

Indicates what exceptions may be

44. throws
thrown by a method

Specifies that a variable is not

45. transient
part of an object’s persistent state

Starts a block of code that will be

46. try
tested for exceptions

Specifies that a method does not

47. void
have a return value

This indicates that a variable may

48. volatile
change asynchronously

49. while Starts a while loop

Note:

The keywords const and goto are reserved,

even they are not currently in use.
Currently they are no longer supported in Java.

const Reserved for future use

goto Reserved for future use

true, false and null look like keywords, but in

actual they are literals. However they still can’t
be used as identifiers in a program.
These keywords cannot be used as a variable.
Check out this article for more on the rules of
variable declarations.

Article Tags : Java Java-keyword

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