instance or java.lang.Class if the method is static.

• Access modifiers - Identical to those used with classes.

A final method cannot be overridden or hidden by subclasses.cite-ref-5[5] This is

used to prevent unexpected behavior from a subclass altering a method

that may be crucial to the function or consistency of the class.cite-ref-6[6]

Example:

public class Base

{

public void m1() {...}

public final void m2() {...}

public static void m3() {...}

public static final void m4() {...}

}

public class Derived extends Base

{

public void m1() {...} // OK, overriding Base#m1()

public void m2() {...} // forbidden

public static void m3() {...} // OK, hiding Base#m3()

public static void m4() {...} // forbidden

}

A common misconception is that declaring a method as final improves

efficiency by allowing the compiler to directly insert the method

wherever it is called (see inline expansion). Because the method is

loaded at runtime, compilers are unable to do this. Only the runtime

environment and JIT compiler know exactly which classes have been

loaded, and so only they are able to make decisions about when to

inline, whether or not the method is final.cite-ref-7[7]

Machine code compilers that generate directly executable,

platform-specific

machine code

, are an exception. When using

static linking

, the compiler can safely assume that methods and variables computable

at

compile-time

may be inlined.

This language feature was introduced in J2SE 5.0. The last argument of