What is the use of 'this' keyword in Java?

Question

Accepted Answer

The this keyword in Java is a reference to the current object of a class. It is commonly used to access instance variables, invoke methods of the current object, and resolve naming conflicts between instance variables and method parameters.

Key Points:
• this refers to the current object instance.
• It is used to distinguish instance variables from local variables or method parameters with the same name.
• It can be used to invoke another constructor within the same class using this().
• It can be passed as an argument to methods or constructors.
• It can be returned from a method to return the current object.

Example:
When a constructor parameter has the same name as an instance variable, the this keyword helps differentiate between them.

Code Example:

```
public class Employee {

private String name;

public Employee(String name) {
        this.name = name;
    }

public void display() {
        System.out.println(this.name);
    }
}
```
Interview Tip:
A concise interview answer is:

"The this keyword is a reference to the current object. It is mainly used to access instance variables, call current class methods or constructors, resolve variable naming conflicts, and refer to the current object within a class."