Question

I have taken to using setters instead of putting arguments into the default constructor because it helps me organise my code better

The problem is that the only variable on a project I am doing is a String and I am not sure whether I should be initializing it in the declaration (as a global variable?), in an setter instance method or whether to initialise it in the class constructor.

I am wondering if there could be anything problematic about this set up whether the instance is not initialised until it’s setter is used:

class MyClass{

  private String myString; 

  public MyClass(){

  }
  public void setStuff(String s){ 

    this.myString=s;
  }
}

Answer 1

Not sure what you mean by global variable? Is it truely a variable that is the same inrespective of the object that is created? If so it should be static

private static String myString = "str";

If it never changes then it should be final and is then a global constant

public static final String MY_STRING = "str";

This can then be public and accessed via

MyClass.MY_STRING

If it is only applicable for each object of the class that is created then either initialise it in the constructor or in the declaration