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Do Java enums allocate heap memory in the Android Runtime?

I was watching a video by two Android engineers talking about garbage collection in Android. In the introduction they do a little banter over enums. Romain Guy says: "I have to correct you there. Enums, they don't allocate. That's the whole point." At first, I that Romain just made a joke because enums work like this in other languages. But after this, Chet seems to concede that enums indeed to not allocate, but doing some "memory-related" stuff (implying: living on the stack). This reaction is what confuses me.
https://youtu.be/Zc4JP8kNGmQ?t=96
In my understanding, enums in Java are basically fixed collections of class-instances and seeing as Enum implements Object as good as object instantiations from a memory perspective, and so will be allocated to the heap.
But I can imagine that enums have some special status, owing to the strong properties the compiler can draw about them. Analogously, I know there are various optimizations for String like a shared pool for literals.
I am currently in the situation where I have fixed list of objects that I use as constants in my application. So I can implement this as an enum or as an array of class instantiations. Assuming readability is not an issue, would it be more performant to do the former?

Enums are objects. Like all objects, they live on the heap.
Indeed, if you decompile a simple enum, like:
enum Foo { A, B }
it looks like this (some stuff omitted):
static {};
Code:
0: new #4 // class Foo
3: dup
4: ldc #7 // String A
6: iconst_0
7: invokespecial #8 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
10: putstatic #9 // Field A:LFoo;
13: new #4 // class Foo
16: dup
17: ldc #10 // String B
19: iconst_1
20: invokespecial #8 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
23: putstatic #11 // Field B:LFoo;
26: iconst_2
27: anewarray #4 // class Foo
30: dup
31: iconst_0
32: getstatic #9 // Field A:LFoo;
35: aastore
36: dup
37: iconst_1
38: getstatic #11 // Field B:LFoo;
41: aastore
42: putstatic #1 // Field $VALUES:[LFoo;
45: return
which is basically the same as a class like this:
class Bar {
static final Bar A = new Bar("A");
static final Bar B = new Bar("B");
static final Bar[] $VALUES;
static {
Bar[] array = new Bar[2];
array[0] = A;
array[1] = B;
$VALUES = array;
}
private Bar(String name) {}
}
which decompiles to:
static {};
Code:
0: new #2 // class Bar
3: dup
4: ldc #3 // String A
6: invokespecial #4 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;)V
9: putstatic #5 // Field A:LBar;
12: new #2 // class Bar
15: dup
16: ldc #6 // String B
18: invokespecial #4 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;)V
21: putstatic #7 // Field B:LBar;
24: iconst_2
25: anewarray #2 // class Bar
28: astore_0
29: aload_0
30: iconst_0
31: getstatic #5 // Field A:LBar;
34: aastore
35: aload_0
36: iconst_1
37: getstatic #7 // Field B:LBar;
40: aastore
41: aload_0
42: putstatic #8 // Field $VALUES:[LBar;
45: return
There are a few other special things you get from an enum (like guarantees that they can't be creayed reflectively); but really, they are just regular objects.
The point that I think they are trying to make is that enums don't get allocated more than once (they are a good way to implement singetons, if you really need a singleton). So, you pay a small, fixed cost to load the enum class; but you can then reuse those same instances over and over.

Scala #specialized annotation infinite recursion?

Version: scala 2.11.8
I defined a class with specialized type and override method in inheritance:
class Father[#specialized(Int) A]{
def get(from: A): A = from
}
class Son extends Father[Int]{
override def get(from: Int): Int = {
println("Son.get")
super.get(from)
}
}
new Son().get(1) // will cause infinite recursion
So, how to reuse the method of superclass with specialized annotation?

From the article Quirks of Scala Specialization:
Avoid super calls
Qualified super calls are (perhaps fundamentally) broken with specialization. Rewiring the super-accessor methods properly in the specialization phase is a nightmare that has not been solved so far. So, avoid them like the plague, at least for now. In particular, stackable modifications pattern will not work with it well.
So it's most likely a compiler bug, in general you shouldn't use super calls with Scala specialization.
After a bit of investigation:
javap -c Son.class
public class Son extends Father$mcI$sp {
public int get(int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: iload_1
2: invokevirtual #14 // Method get$mcI$sp:(I)I
5: ireturn
public int get$mcI$sp(int);
Code:
0: getstatic #23 // Field scala/Predef$.MODULE$:Lscala/Predef$;
3: ldc #25 // String Son.get
5: invokevirtual #29 // Method scala/Predef$.println:(Ljava/lang/Object;)V
8: aload_0
9: iload_1
10: invokespecial #31 // Method Father$mcI$sp.get:(I)I
13: ireturn
Son.get(int) calls Son.get$mcI$sp(int) which turns into Father$mcI$sp.get(int):
javap -c Father\$mcI\$sp.class
public class Father$mcI$sp extends Father<java.lang.Object> {
public int get(int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: iload_1
2: invokevirtual #12 // Method get$mcI$sp:(I)I
5: ireturn
public int get$mcI$sp(int);
Code:
0: iload_1
1: ireturn
Looks like we have found the cause - Father$mcI$sp.get(int) makes a virtual call to get$mcI$sp, which is overloaded in Son! This is what caused the infinite recursion here.
The compiler has to create specialized versions of method get which is get$mcI$sp, in order to support the non-specialized generic version of Father[T], which unfortunately makes it impossible to have super calls with specialized classes.
Now what happens after changing Father to be a trait (with Scala 2.12):
javap -c Son.class
public class Son implements Father$mcI$sp {
public int get$mcI$sp(int);
Code:
0: getstatic #25 // Field scala/Predef$.MODULE$:Lscala/Predef$;
3: ldc #27 // String Son.get
5: invokevirtual #31 // Method scala/Predef$.println:(Ljava/lang/Object;)V
8: aload_0
9: iload_1
10: invokestatic #37 // Method scala/runtime/BoxesRunTime.boxToInteger:(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;
13: invokestatic #43 // InterfaceMethod Father.get$:(LFather;Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;
16: invokestatic #47 // Method scala/runtime/BoxesRunTime.unboxToInt:(Ljava/lang/Object;)I
19: ireturn
It looks like instead of calling get$mcI$sp in a parent class, it invokes static method Father.get$:
javap -c Father.class
public interface Father<A> {
public static java.lang.Object get$(Father, java.lang.Object);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: aload_1
2: invokespecial #17 // InterfaceMethod get:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;
5: areturn
public A get(A);
Code:
0: aload_1
1: areturn
public static int get$mcI$sp$(Father, int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: iload_1
2: invokespecial #26 // InterfaceMethod get$mcI$sp:(I)I
5: ireturn
public int get$mcI$sp(int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: iload_1
2: invokestatic #33 // Method scala/runtime/BoxesRunTime.boxToInteger:(I)Ljava/lang/Integer;
5: invokeinterface #17, 2 // InterfaceMethod get:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;
10: invokestatic #37 // Method scala/runtime/BoxesRunTime.unboxToInt:(Ljava/lang/Object;)I
13: ireturn
What's interesting here, is that it seems like the get method is not getting real specialization since it has to box the value in get$mcI$sp, which might be a bug, or maybe specialization support for traits was dropped in Scala 2.12.

Does looping through an enum create new objects? [duplicate]

I need to convert an ordinal int value to an enum value in Java. Which is simple:
MyEnumType value = MyEnumType.values()[ordinal];
The values() method is implicit, and I cannot locate the source code for it, hence the question.
Does the MyEnumType.values() allocate a new array or not? And if it does, should I cache the array when first called? Suppose that the conversion will be called quite often.

Yes.
Java doesn't have mechanism which lets us create unmodifiable array. So if values() would return same mutable array, we risk that someone could change its content for everyone.
So until unmodifiable arrays will be introduced to Java, for safety values() must return new/separate array holding all values.
We can test it with == operator:
MyEnumType[] arr1 = MyEnumType.values();
MyEnumType[] arr2 = MyEnumType.values();
System.out.println(arr1 == arr2); //false
If you want to avoid recreating this array you can simply store it and reuse result of values() later. There are few ways to do it, like.
you can create private array and allow access to its content only via getter method like
private static final MyEnumType[] VALUES = values();// to avoid recreating array
MyEnumType getByOrdinal(int){
return VALUES[int];
}
you can store result of values() in unmodifiable collection like List to ensure that its content will not be changed (now such list can be public).
public static final List<MyEnumType> VALUES = Collections.unmodifiableList(Arrays.asList(values()));

Theoretically, the values() method must return a new array every time, since Java doesn't have immutable arrays. If it always returned the same array it could not prevent callers muddling each other up by modifying the array.
I cannot locate the source code for it
The values() method has no ordinary source code, being compiler-generated. For javac, the code that generates the values() method is in com.sun.tools.javac.comp.Lower.visitEnumDef. For ECJ (Eclipse's compiler), the code is in org.eclipse.jdt.internal.compiler.codegen.CodeStream.generateSyntheticBodyForEnumValues.
An easier way to find the implementation of the values() method is by disassembling a compiled enum. First create some silly enum:
enum MyEnumType {
A, B, C;
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(values()[0]);
}
}
Then compile it, and disassemble it using the javap tool included in the JDK:
javac MyEnumType.java && javap -c -p MyEnumType
Visible in the output are all the compiler-generated implicit members of the enum, including (1) a static final field for each enum constant, (2) a hidden $VALUES array containing all the constants, (3) a static initializer block that instantiates each constant and assigns each one to its named field and to the array, and (4) the values() method that works by calling .clone() on the $VALUES array and returning the result:
final class MyEnumType extends java.lang.Enum<MyEnumType> {
public static final MyEnumType A;
public static final MyEnumType B;
public static final MyEnumType C;
private static final MyEnumType[] $VALUES;
public static MyEnumType[] values();
Code:
0: getstatic #1 // Field $VALUES:[LMyEnumType;
3: invokevirtual #2 // Method "[LMyEnumType;".clone:()Ljava/lang/Object;
6: checkcast #3 // class "[LMyEnumType;"
9: areturn
public static MyEnumType valueOf(java.lang.String);
Code:
0: ldc #4 // class MyEnumType
2: aload_0
3: invokestatic #5 // Method java/lang/Enum.valueOf:(Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/Enum;
6: checkcast #4 // class MyEnumType
9: areturn
private MyEnumType(java.lang.String, int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: aload_1
2: iload_2
3: invokespecial #6 // Method java/lang/Enum."<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
6: return
public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
Code:
0: getstatic #7 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
3: invokestatic #8 // Method values:()[LMyEnumType;
6: iconst_0
7: aaload
8: invokevirtual #9 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/Object;)V
11: return
static {};
Code:
0: new #4 // class MyEnumType
3: dup
4: ldc #10 // String A
6: iconst_0
7: invokespecial #11 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
10: putstatic #12 // Field A:LMyEnumType;
13: new #4 // class MyEnumType
16: dup
17: ldc #13 // String B
19: iconst_1
20: invokespecial #11 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
23: putstatic #14 // Field B:LMyEnumType;
26: new #4 // class MyEnumType
29: dup
30: ldc #15 // String C
32: iconst_2
33: invokespecial #11 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
36: putstatic #16 // Field C:LMyEnumType;
39: iconst_3
40: anewarray #4 // class MyEnumType
43: dup
44: iconst_0
45: getstatic #12 // Field A:LMyEnumType;
48: aastore
49: dup
50: iconst_1
51: getstatic #14 // Field B:LMyEnumType;
54: aastore
55: dup
56: iconst_2
57: getstatic #16 // Field C:LMyEnumType;
60: aastore
61: putstatic #1 // Field $VALUES:[LMyEnumType;
64: return
}
However, the fact that the values() method has to return a new array, doesn't mean the compiler has to use the method. Potentially a compiler could detect use of MyEnumType.values()[ordinal] and, seeing that the array is not modified, it could bypass the method and use the underlying $VALUES array. The above disassembly of the main method shows that javac does not make such an optimization.
I also tested ECJ. The disassembly shows ECJ also initializes a hidden array to store the constants (although the Java langspec doesn't require that), but interestingly its values() method prefers to create a blank array then fill it with System.arraycopy, rather than calling .clone(). Either way, values() returns a new array every time. Like javac, it doesn't attempt to optimize the ordinal lookup:
final class MyEnumType extends java.lang.Enum<MyEnumType> {
public static final MyEnumType A;
public static final MyEnumType B;
public static final MyEnumType C;
private static final MyEnumType[] ENUM$VALUES;
static {};
Code:
0: new #1 // class MyEnumType
3: dup
4: ldc #14 // String A
6: iconst_0
7: invokespecial #15 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
10: putstatic #19 // Field A:LMyEnumType;
13: new #1 // class MyEnumType
16: dup
17: ldc #21 // String B
19: iconst_1
20: invokespecial #15 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
23: putstatic #22 // Field B:LMyEnumType;
26: new #1 // class MyEnumType
29: dup
30: ldc #24 // String C
32: iconst_2
33: invokespecial #15 // Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
36: putstatic #25 // Field C:LMyEnumType;
39: iconst_3
40: anewarray #1 // class MyEnumType
43: dup
44: iconst_0
45: getstatic #19 // Field A:LMyEnumType;
48: aastore
49: dup
50: iconst_1
51: getstatic #22 // Field B:LMyEnumType;
54: aastore
55: dup
56: iconst_2
57: getstatic #25 // Field C:LMyEnumType;
60: aastore
61: putstatic #27 // Field ENUM$VALUES:[LMyEnumType;
64: return
private MyEnumType(java.lang.String, int);
Code:
0: aload_0
1: aload_1
2: iload_2
3: invokespecial #31 // Method java/lang/Enum."<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;I)V
6: return
public static void main(java.lang.String[]);
Code:
0: getstatic #35 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
3: invokestatic #41 // Method values:()[LMyEnumType;
6: iconst_0
7: aaload
8: invokevirtual #45 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/Object;)V
11: return
public static MyEnumType[] values();
Code:
0: getstatic #27 // Field ENUM$VALUES:[LMyEnumType;
3: dup
4: astore_0
5: iconst_0
6: aload_0
7: arraylength
8: dup
9: istore_1
10: anewarray #1 // class MyEnumType
13: dup
14: astore_2
15: iconst_0
16: iload_1
17: invokestatic #53 // Method java/lang/System.arraycopy:(Ljava/lang/Object;ILjava/lang/Object;II)V
20: aload_2
21: areturn
public static MyEnumType valueOf(java.lang.String);
Code:
0: ldc #1 // class MyEnumType
2: aload_0
3: invokestatic #59 // Method java/lang/Enum.valueOf:(Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/Enum;
6: checkcast #1 // class MyEnumType
9: areturn
}
However, it's still potentially possible that the JVM could have an optimization that detects the fact that the array is copied and then thrown away, and avoids it. To test that, I ran the following pair of benchmark programs that test ordinal lookup in a loop, one which calls values() each time and the other that uses a private copy of the array. The result of the ordinal lookup is assigned to a volatile field to prevent it being optimized away:
enum MyEnumType1 {
A, B, C;
public static void main(String[] args) {
long t = System.nanoTime();
for (int n = 0; n < 100_000_000; n++) {
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
dummy = values()[i];
}
}
System.out.printf("Done in %.2f seconds.\n", (System.nanoTime() - t) / 1e9);
}
public static volatile Object dummy;
}
enum MyEnumType2 {
A, B, C;
public static void main(String[] args) {
long t = System.nanoTime();
for (int n = 0; n < 100_000_000; n++) {
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
dummy = values[i];
}
}
System.out.printf("Done in %.2f seconds.\n", (System.nanoTime() - t) / 1e9);
}
public static volatile Object dummy;
private static final MyEnumType2[] values = values();
}
I ran this on Java 8u60, on the Server VM. Each test using the values() method took around 10 seconds, while each test using the private array took around 2 seconds. Using the -verbose:gc JVM argument showed there was significant garbage collection activity when the values() method was used, and none when using the private array. Running the same tests on the Client VM, the private array was still fast, but the values() method became even slower, taking over a minute to finish. Calling values() also took longer the more enum constants were defined. All this indicates that the values() method really does allocate a new array each time, and that avoiding it can be advantageous.
Note that both java.util.EnumSet and java.util.EnumMap need to use the array of enum constants. For performance they call JRE proprietary code that caches the result of values() in a shared array stored in java.lang.Class. You can get access to that shared array yourself by calling sun.misc.SharedSecrets.getJavaLangAccess().getEnumConstantsShared(MyEnumType.class), but it is unsafe to depend on it as such APIs are not part of any spec and can be changed or removed in any Java update.
Conclusion:
The enum values() method has to behave as if it always allocates a new array, in case callers modify it.
Compilers or VMs could potentially optimize that allocation away in some cases, but apparently they don't.
In performance-critical code, it is well worth taking your own copy of the array.

Is it possible to re-reference any final String variable. Please clear me what is happening in given program

I have written a same program in two different way and both are giving me different output. i am not able to understand why.
please correct me.
In first program i am getting this output
Original: Umesh
Changed: Xmesh
And in second program i am getting this output.
Original: Umesh
Changed: Umesh
Program-1
import java.lang.reflect.Field;
public class SomeClass {
public static void main(final String[] args) throws Throwable {
final String s = "Umesh";
changeString(s);
}
// We need a method so the compiler won't inline "s":
static void changeString(final String s) throws Throwable {
System.out.println("Original: " + s);
final Field field = String.class.getDeclaredField("value");
field.setAccessible(true);
final char[] value = (char[]) field.get(s);
value[0] = 'X';
System.out.println("Changed: " + s);
}
}
Program-2
import java.lang.reflect.Field;
public class SomeClass {
public static void main(final String[] args) throws Throwable {
final String s = "Umesh";
System.out.println("Original: " + s);
final Field field = String.class.getDeclaredField("value");
field.setAccessible(true);
final char[] value = (char[]) field.get(s);
value[0] = 'X';
System.out.println("Changed: " + s);
}
}

I'll just start by saying you really, really shouldn't be mucking about with strings like that. :-)
In your first example you aren't "re-referencing" anything (that is, you're not changing what string s refers to), what you're doing is modifying the string it refers to. Even though officially strings are immutable, you're using reflection as a backdoor to modify the undocumented internals of the String implementation in Oracle's JDK (other JDKs may be implemented differently, making that code fail). But the s reference is unchanged. Even with reflection, you can't change the value of a final local variable. (You could change a final field via reflection, but doing so would open you up to the same sort of inconsistencies you're seeing in this example.)
What's happening in your second example is that since s is a final variable you give a literal value to within main, as far as the compiler is concerned, it's a compile-time constant, since String is officially immutable. The compiler is (very) aware of strings and does a fair bit of optimization around them, such as turning "a" + "b" + "c" into simply "abc". So later, when it sees "Original: " + s, it can happily just substitute "Original: Umesh" for that. And again at the end, when it sees "Changed: " + s it can replace that with "Changed: Umesh". It ends up being exactly as though you'd actually written System.out.println("Original: Umesh"); and System.out.println("Changed: Umesh"); in the source code.
The compiler couldn't do that in the first example because s is an argument to the function, rather than a final declared right there in main.
You can see the difference in the bytecode. Compile each of them, then disassemble them via javac -p SomeClass. Here's what I get (I called them Example1 and Example2):
$ javap -c Example1
Compiled from "Example1.java"
public class Example1 {
public Example1();
Code:
0: aload_0
1: invokespecial #1 // Method java/lang/Object."":()V
4: return
public static void main(java.lang.String[]) throws java.lang.Throwable;
Code:
0: ldc #2 // String Umesh
2: invokestatic #3 // Method changeString:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
5: return
static void changeString(java.lang.String) throws java.lang.Throwable;
Code:
0: getstatic #4 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
3: new #5 // class java/lang/StringBuilder
6: dup
7: invokespecial #6 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder."":()V
10: ldc #7 // String Original:
12: invokevirtual #8 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
15: aload_0
16: invokevirtual #8 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
19: invokevirtual #9 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.toString:()Ljava/lang/String;
22: invokevirtual #10 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
25: ldc #11 // class java/lang/String
27: ldc #12 // String value
29: invokevirtual #13 // Method java/lang/Class.getDeclaredField:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/reflect/Field;
32: astore_1
33: aload_1
34: iconst_1
35: invokevirtual #14 // Method java/lang/reflect/Field.setAccessible:(Z)V
38: aload_1
39: aload_0
40: invokevirtual #15 // Method java/lang/reflect/Field.get:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;
43: checkcast #16 // class "[C"
46: checkcast #16 // class "[C"
49: astore_2
50: aload_2
51: iconst_0
52: bipush 88
54: castore
55: getstatic #4 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
58: new #5 // class java/lang/StringBuilder
61: dup
62: invokespecial #6 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder."":()V
65: ldc #17 // String Changed:
67: invokevirtual #8 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
70: aload_0
71: invokevirtual #8 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.append:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/StringBuilder;
74: invokevirtual #9 // Method java/lang/StringBuilder.toString:()Ljava/lang/String;
77: invokevirtual #10 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
80: return
}
and
$ javap -c Example2
Compiled from "Example2.java"
public class Example2 {
public Example2();
Code:
0: aload_0
1: invokespecial #1 // Method java/lang/Object."":()V
4: return
public static void main(java.lang.String[]) throws java.lang.Throwable;
Code:
0: getstatic #2 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
3: ldc #3 // String Original: Umesh
5: invokevirtual #4 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
8: ldc #5 // class java/lang/String
10: ldc #6 // String value
12: invokevirtual #7 // Method java/lang/Class.getDeclaredField:(Ljava/lang/String;)Ljava/lang/reflect/Field;
15: astore_2
16: aload_2
17: iconst_1
18: invokevirtual #8 // Method java/lang/reflect/Field.setAccessible:(Z)V
21: aload_2
22: ldc #9 // String Umesh
24: invokevirtual #10 // Method java/lang/reflect/Field.get:(Ljava/lang/Object;)Ljava/lang/Object;
27: checkcast #11 // class "[C"
30: checkcast #11 // class "[C"
33: astore_3
34: aload_3
35: iconst_0
36: bipush 88
38: castore
39: getstatic #2 // Field java/lang/System.out:Ljava/io/PrintStream;
42: ldc #12 // String Changed: Umesh
44: invokevirtual #4 // Method java/io/PrintStream.println:(Ljava/lang/String;)V
47: return
}
Notice how we don't see any string concatenation (StringBuilder usage) in the second example, the compiler combined the static strings at the compilation stage.

In the 2nd case, "Changed: " + s is a constant expression, the value is computed at compile time. It must be treated the same as the String literal "Changed: Umesh". (you can test that by ==)
In the 1st case, while aggressive optimzations are allowed on final fields , you are not actually modifying any final fields. You are writing to an array element, which is not final. This write must be visible to subsequent reads in the same thread.

Creating a final Java class array of enum constants with values( )

Inside a Java enumerated class, I'd like to create a final static array containing the values() of the class. When I do this along the following lines, the resulting array is null.
public enum Name {
E1( stuff ), E2( stuff );
private static final Name[] values = Name.values();
private Name( stuff ) { more stuff; }
}
I've also tried doing this by calling an explicit class setter method, but this gave an java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError exception.
I understand the problem is caused by some shallow dependencies as the stuff in the previous code uses other classes, which themselves depend on the enumerated class.
Is there a tested and proven technique to achieve what I need?

tl;dr: what you're trying to do isn't possible - static fields of an enum type don't get initialized until after all the constructor calls have completed.
Consider this example:
public enum Name {
E1("hello"), E2("world");
private static final Name[] values = values();
private Name(String val) {
System.out.println("val = " + val);
dump();
}
protected void dump() {
System.out.println("this = " + this + ", values = " + values);
}
}
Note that the reason for the existence of the dump method is that it is a compile-time error (Java Language Spec section 8.9.2) to try and reference the value field from inside the constructor of Name. With this test harness:
public class Main {
public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
System.out.println(Name.values());
}
}
we get
$ java Main
val = hello
this = E1, values = null
val = world
this = E2, values = null
[LName;#35960f05
Decompiling the Name class with javap we see the following:
private static final Name[] $VALUES;
public static Name[] values();
Code:
0: getstatic #1; //Field $VALUES:[LName;
3: invokevirtual #2; //Method "[LName;".clone:()Ljava/lang/Object;
6: checkcast #3; //class "[LName;"
9: areturn
The compiler creates a private field $VALUES holding the value array, and the values() method is implemented as { return (Name[])$VALUES.clone() }. So how does $VALUES get initialized?
static {};
Code:
0: new #4; //class Name
3: dup
4: ldc #19; //String E1
6: iconst_0
7: ldc #20; //String hello
9: invokespecial #21; //Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;ILjava/lang/String;)V
12: putstatic #22; //Field E1:LName;
15: new #4; //class Name
18: dup
19: ldc #23; //String E2
21: iconst_1
22: ldc #24; //String world
24: invokespecial #21; //Method "<init>":(Ljava/lang/String;ILjava/lang/String;)V
27: putstatic #25; //Field E2:LName;
30: iconst_2
31: anewarray #4; //class Name
34: dup
35: iconst_0
36: getstatic #22; //Field E1:LName;
39: aastore
40: dup
41: iconst_1
42: getstatic #25; //Field E2:LName;
45: aastore
46: putstatic #1; //Field $VALUES:[LName;
49: invokestatic #26; //Method values:()[LName;
52: putstatic #18; //Field values:[LName;
55: return
}
What we see here is that the initialization essentially does:
// compiler-generated initialization code
E1 = new Name("hello");
E2 = new Name("world");
$VALUES = new Name[] {E1, E2};
// static initializer of the values field
values = Name.values();
so during the execution of the constructor calls, the values field will be null and the values() method will throw a NullPointerException (which will get wrapped in an ExceptionInInitializerError).

Can you provide an example where this happens because it shouldn't be null.
public class Main {
public enum Name {
E1( ), E2( );
private static final Name[] VALUES = Name.values();
}
public static void main(String... args) {
System.out.println(Name.VALUES);
System.out.println(Arrays.asList(Name.VALUES));
}
}
prints
[LMain$Name;#717e5fde
[E1, E2]