keyword : Java Glossary

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keyword
Java reserves some words. They cannot be used as variable, method or class names.
Java Keywords
abstract default if private this
assert do implements protected throw
boolean double import public throws
break else instanceof return transient
byte enum int short try
case extends interface static void
catch final long strictfp volatile
char finally native super while
class float new switch
continue for package synchronized
Reserved keywords (not currently in use)
const goto      
Reserved Literals
null true false    

The bold ones I consider more important since they demark major blocks of code. assert arrived with JDK (Java Development Kit) 1.4. enum arrived with JDK 1.5. const and goto are not currently used. They may be there just in case C++ programmers use them by mistake to enable the compiler to give a more meaningful error message.

What keywords Can Be Applied to What

  variable local variable method class inner class code block
public
protected
private
abstract 1
static ²
final 3 4 4
native 5
synchronized
volatile 6
transient
strictfp

Notes

1 - abstract methods cannot have a body.

² - static blocks may not occur inside methods.

3 - final methods cannot be overridden in a subclass. This is not the same as C++ const.

4 - you can’t derive from a final class.

5 - implemented in some other language, usually C, C++ or assembler.

6 - May be asynchronously modified by other threads. Volatile is not a substitute for task synchronization.

Table composed by Razvan.

Learning More

Oracle’s Javadoc on Modifier class : available:
abstract
abstract class
boolean
canonical
case
catch
class
double
extends
final
finally
for loop
implements
import
instanceof
interface
Java Cheat Sheet
JNI
keyword ordering
local scope
native
new
package
package scope
private scope
protected scope
public scope
static
strictfp
super
switch
synchronized
this
throw
transient
try
void
volatile
while
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