What Are Object Class Methods in Java?

In Java, every class directly or indirectly inherits from the Java Platform, Standard Edition Object class.

That means every Java object automatically gets a set of built-in methods that can be used for comparison, cloning, string representation, synchronization, and more.

The Object class is the root of Java’s class hierarchy.

Why the Object Class Matters

Consider this class:

class Student {
    int id;
    String name;
}

Even though Student does not explicitly extend anything, Java internally treats it as:

class Student extends Object {
    int id;
    String name;
}

Because of this inheritance, all Student objects can use methods from the Object class.

Common Object Class Methods

Here are the most important methods provided by the Object class.

1. toString() Method

The toString() method returns a string representation of an object.

2. equals() Method

The equals() method compares two objects.

3. hashCode() Method

The hashCode() method returns an integer hash value for the object.

It is heavily used in:

• HashMap