final variable case in switch statement

Question

        final int a = 1;
        final int b;
        b = 2;
        final int x = 0;

        switch (x) {
            case         


        

Answer 1

b may not have been initialized and it is possible to be assigned multiple values. In your example it is obviously initialized, but probably the compiler doesn't get to know that (and it can't). Imagine:

final int b;
if (something) {
   b = 1;
} else {
   b = 2;
}

The compiler needs a constant in the switch, but the value of b depends on some external variable.