Comparing VarArgs and Array Input Parameters in Java

VarArgs vs Array Input Parameters in Java

In Java, it's possible to provide variable arguments (varargs) to a method instead of an array. Varargs are great for passing variable numbers of arguments of the same type into a method. However, while they are convenient and concise, they are not always the best choice. Let’s take a look at the differences between using varargs and array input parameters in Java.

VarArgs

VarArgs are a way to define methods that can accept a variable number of arguments. It is used when you don’t know ahead of time how many arguments will be passed to the method. This makes it easier and less verbose than having to create an array and fill it with the necessary arguments. Here is an example of a method that takes VarArgs as input:

public static void printMessage(String... messages) {
    for (String message : messages) {
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

This method will accept any number of strings as arguments and print them. We can invoke this method like so:

printMessage("Hello", "World!");

Array Input Parameters

Instead of using VarArgs, you can also pass an array of arguments into a method. This method is usually more flexible than VarArgs, since it can accept an array of any type, not just one type. Here is an example of a method that uses an array as input:

public static void printMessages(String[] messages) {
    for (String message : messages) {
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

We can invoke this method like so:

String[] messages = {"Hello", "World!"};
printMessages(messages);

When to Use?

So when should you use VarArgs and when should you use array input parameters in Java? If you know ahead of time that the method will only receive one type of argument, then using VarArgs would be the better choice since it gives you a simpler syntax. However, if you need to pass in an array of different types, then using array input parameters would be a better choice since it’s more flexible.