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Java Concepts I’m Mastering – Part 4: Constructor vs Method

Continuing my Java fundamentals journey.

Today’s focus: Constructor vs Method — a concept that looks simple but defines how objects behave.

What is a Constructor?

A constructor is a special block of code that:

Has the same name as the class

Is called automatically when an object is created

Initializes object data

class Student {
    String name;

    Student(String name) {   
        this.name = name;
    }
}

It runs when:

Student s1 = new Student("Kanishka");

What is a Method?

A method:

Has a return type

Is called explicitly

Performs actions

class Student {
    String name;

    void display() {   
        System.out.println(name);
    }
}

It runs only when you call it:

s1.display();

Key Differences
Constructor Method
Same name as class Any name
No return type Must have return type
Called automatically Called manually
Initializes object Performs operations

What I Learned

Constructors build the object.

Methods define its behavior.

Clean class design depends on understanding both.

Mastering these small fundamentals makes advanced OOP much easier.

Next in the series: Method Overloading in Java.