Dereferencing happens with the . operator:
Object obj = new Object(); String text = obj.toString(); // 'obj' is dereferenced.
Dereferencing follows the memory address stored in a reference, to the place in memory where the actual object resides. When an object has been found, the requested method is called (toString in this case).
When a reference has the value null, dereferencing results in a NullPointerException:
Object obj = null; obj.toString(); // Throws a NullpointerException when this statement is executed
null indicates the absence of a value, i.e. following the memory address leads nowhere. So there is no object on which the requested method can be called
Object obj = new Object(); // Note the 'new' keyword
Where:
What happens:
This is different from primitives:
int i = 23;
Where the actual value 23 is stored in i.
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