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Java Identifiers
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Last Updated : 15 Apr, 2025
Java Identifiers
An identifier in Java is the name given to Variables, Classes,
Java Keywords
Methods, Packages, Interfaces, etc. These are the unique names 00:04
Java Variables used to identify programming elements. Every Java Variable must
be identified with a unique name.
Java Operators
Example:
Decision Making in Java (if, if-
else, switch, break, continue, public class Test
jump) {
public static void main(String[] args)
Java Loops {
int a = 20;
Java Methods, Arrays, }
Strings & Regex }
Java OOPs & Interfaces In the above Java code, we have 5 identifiers as follows:
Test: Class Name
Java Collections
main: Method Name
String: Predefined Class Name
Java Exception Handling
args: Variable Name
Java Multithreading and a: Variable Name
Synchronization
Rules For Naming Java Identifiers
Java File Handling, I/O,
There are certain rules for defining a valid Java identifier. These
rules must be followed, otherwise, we get a compile-time error.
These rules are also valid for other languages like C and C++.
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The only allowed characters for identifiers are all alphanumeric
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characters([A-Z],[a-z],[0-9]), '$'(dollar sign) and '_' (underscore).
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For example, "geek@" is not a valid Java identifier as it contains
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a '@', a special character.
Identifiers should not start with digits([0-9]). For example,
"123geeks" is not a valid Java identifier.
Java identifiers are case-sensitive.
There is no limit on the length of the identifier, but it is
advisable to use an optimum length of 4 - 15 letters only.
Reserved Words can't be used as an identifier. For example,
"int while = 20;" is an invalid statement as a while is a reserved
word.
Note: Java has 53 reserved words (including 50 keywords and 3
literals), that are not allowed to be used as identifiers.
Examples of Valid Identifiers
MyVariable
MYVARIABLE
myvariable
x
i
x1
i1
_myvariable
$myvariable
sum_of_array
geeks123
Examples of Invalid Identifiers
00:05
My Variable // contains a space
123geeks // Begins with a digit
a+c // plus sign is not an alphanumeric
character
variable-2 // hyphen is not an alphanumeric
character
sum_&_difference // ampersand is not an alphanumeric
character
Reserved Words in Java
Any programming language reserves some words to represent
functionalities defined by that language. These words are called
reserved words. They can be briefly categorized into two parts:
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Java Identifiers and Classes Java Class Keyword Java Identifiers and Keywords
Keywords (50): Keywords define functionalities.
literals (3): Literals define value.
Identifiers are stored by symbol tables and used during the
lexical, syntax, and semantic analysis phase of compilation.
List of Java Reserved Words
abstract continue for protected transient
Assert Default Goto public Try
Boolean Do If Static throws
break double implements strictfp Package
byte else import super Private
case enum Interface Short switch
Catch Extends instanceof return void
Char Final Int synchronized volatile
class finally long throw Date
const float Native This while
Note: The keywords const and goto are reserved, even though
they are not currently used in Java. In place of const, the final
keyword is used. Some keywords like strictfp are included in
later versions of Java.
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