Clone method example in Java

Clone method example in Java programming language

Given example of java clone() method illustrates, how to use clone() method. The Cloneable interface defines a method called Clone(), which can be used to clone an object in your java program.

If you are trying to use the clone method in a class where Cloneable interface is not implemented, it throws CloneNotSupportedException. Clone() method is used to create and return copy of the object.

Clone method example code

import java.util.*;

public class CloneTest{
  public static void main(String[] args){

  Employee emp = new Employee("Amardeep", 50000);
  emp.setHireDay(2005,0,0);
  Employee emp1 = (Employee)emp.clone();
  emp1.raiseSalary(20);
  emp1.setHireDay(2008, 12, 31);
  System.out.println("Employee=" + emp);
  System.out.println("copy=" + emp1);
  }
}
class Employee implements Cloneable{
  public Employee(String str, double dou){
  name = str;
  salary = dou;
  }
  public Object clone(){
  try{
  Employee cloned = (Employee)super.clone();
  cloned.hireDay = (Date)hireDay.clone();
  return cloned;
  }
  catch(CloneNotSupportedException e){
  System.out.println(e);
  return null;
  }
  }
  public void setHireDay(int year, int month, int day){
  hireDay = new GregorianCalendar(year,month - 1, day).getTime();
  }
  public void raiseSalary(double byPercent){
  double raise = salary * byPercent/100;
  salary += raise;
  }
  public String toString(){
  return "[name=" + name+ ",salary=" + salary+ ",hireDay=" + hireDay+ "]";
  }
  private String name;
  private double salary;
  private Date hireDay;
}

Output of Clone method example:

C:\help>javac CloneTest.java

C:\help>java CloneTest
Employee=[name=Amardeep,salary=50000.0,hireDay=Tue Nov 30 00:00:00 GMT+05:30 2004]
copy=[name=Amardeep,salary=60000.0,hireDay=Wed Dec 31 00:00:00 GMT+05:30 2008]

Download code example discussed in this section.

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Comments

Mohit
September 1, 2011
Errors

mohit-sharmas-macbook-pro:java programs mohitsharma$ javac CloneTest.java CloneTest.java:8: inconvertible types found : Object required: Employee Employee emp1 = (Employee)emp.clone(); ^ CloneTest.java:24: incompatible types found : Employee required: Object return cloned; ^ 2 errors

MANOJ KUMAR KANOJIA
December 4, 2012
core java

very simple example

zhang
April 24, 2013
about clone method

clone method is not defined in Cloneable interface! it's in Object.

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