Scala: what is the real difference between fields in a class and parameters in the constructor

constructor, field, scala

Solution

I've compiled both versions of a class:

class PersonV0 {
  var name : String = _
  var surname: String = _
}

class PersonV1 (var name:String, var surname: String)

The difference is constructors:

public experimental.PersonV0();
  Code:
   0:   aload_0
   1:   invokespecial   #23; //Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
   4:   return
}

public experimental.PersonV1(java.lang.String, java.lang.String);
  Code:
   0:   aload_0
   1:   aload_1
   2:   putfield    #12; //Field name:Ljava/lang/String;
   5:   aload_0
   6:   aload_2
   7:   putfield    #16; //Field surname:Ljava/lang/String;
   10:  aload_0
   11:  invokespecial   #24; //Method java/lang/Object."<init>":()V
   14:  return
}

Problem

What is the difference between these two classes: ``` class Person { var name : String = _ var surname: String = _ } class Person (var name:String, var surname: String) ``` name and surname are always fields in Class Person. Equally? I just change the way you instantiate the class Person. Is that right?

Original source