In Java, when we send objects to a method, do they get passed by reference or by value?
Answer is, the reference of object is passed by value. This can be a bit tricky to absorb first. Let us try to understand. Reference in this case is a pointer (just to visualize, as we know there are no pointers in Java) to the object location.

Employee obj = new Employee();
sendToMethod(obj);

When we are sending this obj to a method, the object copy itself does not get sent neither the object reference. It is the copy of obj reference. So think of it like obj is stored at location “HB10”, this “HB10” gets copied and sent to method. Any changes directly made to the object gets reflected back to the calling method, but if reference itself is update, no changes get reflected.

private void sendToMethod(Employee obj)
{
obj.setSalary(100000);// gets reflected
obj = new Exployee(); // we removed reference, so no changes after this will be reflected in calling method.
obj.setDept(“IT”);// does not gets reflected.
}

A more elaborated example code

import java.util.ArrayList;

public class Test {

public static void main(String args[]) {
ArrayList iList = new ArrayList();
iList.add(1);
System.out.println(“\nPrint list Before”);
iList.stream().forEach(x->System.out.print(x+”, “)); // prints 1,
updateMe(iList);
System.out.println(“\nPrint list After”);
iList.stream().forEach(x->System.out.print(x+”, “)); // prints 1, 2,
}
public static void updateMe(ArrayList iList) {
ArrayList jList = new ArrayList();
iList.add(2); //this gets reflected
jList.add(3);
iList = jList; // reference changed, no changes after this are reflected.
iList.add(4);
jList.add(5);
}
}