FinalReferenceImpliesImmutability

Misconception:

If a final variable refers to an object, that object is immutable.

Incorrect

An object referred to by a final variable is an immutable object

Correct

An object referred to by a final variable can be a mutable object

Correction
Here is what's right.

Assume this class:

class Counter {
  private int count;
  public void increment() {
    count++;
  }
}

And assume this variable:

final Count c = new Count();

The object pointed to by c is not immutable! The state of the object can change, e.g. by calling c.increment(). What cannot change is the value of variable c: that variable is final and thus will always refer to the same object. We cannot assign anything else to c, so c can never point to a different object. But the object it points to may change its state.

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