What is the difference between canonical name, simple name and class name in Java Class?

Question

In Java, what is the difference between these:

Object o1 = ....
o1.getClass().getSimpleName();
o1.getClass().getName();
o1.getClass().getCanonicalName();
         


        

Answer 1

this is best document I found describing getName(), getSimpleName(), getCanonicalName()

https://javahowtodoit.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/java-lang-class-what-is-the-difference-between-class-getname-class-getcanonicalname-and-class-getsimplename/

// Primitive type
int.class.getName();          // -> int
int.class.getCanonicalName(); // -> int
int.class.getSimpleName();    // -> int

// Standard class
Integer.class.getName();          // -> java.lang.Integer
Integer.class.getCanonicalName(); // -> java.lang.Integer
Integer.class.getSimpleName();    // -> Integer

// Inner class
Map.Entry.class.getName();          // -> java.util.Map$Entry
Map.Entry.class.getCanonicalName(); // -> java.util.Map.Entry
Map.Entry.class.getSimpleName();    // -> Entry     

// Anonymous inner class
Class anonymousInnerClass = new Cloneable() {}.getClass();
anonymousInnerClass.getName();          // -> somepackage.SomeClass$1
anonymousInnerClass.getCanonicalName(); // -> null
anonymousInnerClass.getSimpleName();    // -> // An empty string

// Array of primitives
Class primitiveArrayClass = new int[0].getClass();
primitiveArrayClass.getName();          // -> [I
primitiveArrayClass.getCanonicalName(); // -> int[]
primitiveArrayClass.getSimpleName();    // -> int[]

// Array of objects
Class objectArrayClass = new Integer[0].getClass();
objectArrayClass.getName();          // -> [Ljava.lang.Integer;
objectArrayClass.getCanonicalName(); // -> java.lang.Integer[]
objectArrayClass.getSimpleName();    // -> Integer[]