Java.Core.Explain object cloning.

Object cloning in Java is the process of creating an exact copy of an existing object. It is used when you need a duplicate object without manually copying all attributes.

---

How to Clone an Object in Java

Java provides the clone() method in the Object class to achieve cloning.

Steps for Cloning an Object

1. Implement the Cloneable interface (prevents CloneNotSupportedException).
2. Override the clone() method in your class.
3. Call super.clone() inside the overridden clone() method.

---

1. Example of Shallow Copy (Default Cloning)

A shallow copy creates a new object, but its fields still reference the same objects.

class Person implements Cloneable { // without Cloneable, CloneNotSupportedException 
    String name;

    Person(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

    @Override
    protected Object clone() throws CloneNotSupportedException {
        return super.clone(); // Performs shallow copy
    }
}

public class ShallowCloneExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws CloneNotSupportedException {
        Person p1 = new Person("Alice");
        Person p2 = (Person) p1.clone(); // Clone p1 into p2

        System.out.println(p1.name); // Alice
        System.out.println(p2.name); // Alice

        p2.name = "Bob"; // Change p2's name
        System.out.println(p1.name); // Alice (original remains unchanged)
    }
}

✅ Here, p1 and p2 are different objects, but the fields are copied.