Java Deep Copy Methods Explained

There are several ways to achieve deep copy in Java.

1. By using the clone() method: an object implements the Cloneable interface and overrides the clone() method, creating a new object in the clone() method and copying the original object’s attribute values to the new object. It is important to note that reference type properties of the original object and the new object will point to the same object, so deep copying is necessary for reference type properties.
2. By using serialization and deserialization, an object can be converted into a byte stream and then back into a new object. This method requires the object to implement the Serializable interface, as well as any referenced type properties to also implement the Serializable interface.
3. Using third-party libraries: Some third-party libraries, such as the SerializationUtils class in the Apache Commons Lang library, provide a way to perform deep copying. You can use the clone() method in this class to achieve deep copying.

Regardless of the method used, it is important to carefully perform a deep copy on reference type properties to ensure that the reference type properties of the new object and the original object point to different objects.