Difference between string object and string literal [duplicate]

Answer 1

Some disassembly is always interesting...

$ cat Test.java 
public class Test {
    public static void main(String... args) {
        String abc = "abc";
        String def = new String("def");
    }
}

$ javap -c -v Test
Compiled from "Test.java"
public class Test extends java.lang.Object
  SourceFile: "Test.java"
  minor version: 0
  major version: 50
  Constant pool:
const #1 = Method  #7.#16;  //  java/lang/Object."":()V
const #2 = String  #17;     //  abc
const #3 = class   #18;     //  java/lang/String
const #4 = String  #19;     //  def
const #5 = Method  #3.#20;  //  java/lang/String."":(Ljava/lang/String;)V
const #6 = class   #21;     //  Test
const #7 = class   #22;     //  java/lang/Object
const #8 = Asciz   ;
...

{
public Test(); ...    

public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
  Code:
   Stack=3, Locals=3, Args_size=1
    0:    ldc #2;           // Load string constant "abc"
    2:    astore_1          // Store top of stack onto local variable 1
    3:    new #3;           // class java/lang/String
    6:    dup               // duplicate top of stack
    7:    ldc #4;           // Load string constant "def"
    9:    invokespecial #5; // Invoke constructor
   12:    astore_2          // Store top of stack onto local variable 2
   13:    return
}