Re: why java does not support pointers

Well, it's debatable whether Java does or doesn't support pointers.
Some would say that everything (well, every reference type) in Java is
a pointer -- hence, the ever-familiar NullPointerException. But
certainly, these reference types do not give one the sort of direct
interaction with memory that we're familiar with from pointers in,
e.g., C. The decision to have it this way has to do with the design
principles of Java. Security and portability are probably two of the
main ones. In Java, can you access uninitialized or deallocated
memory? Well, that's because of the lack of pointers. Like it or lump
it, that's Java.

Luke

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