How are objects treated in an anonymous inner class?

Question

Lets take this for example...

entryText.addTextChangedListener(new TextWatcher() {
 TextView wordCount = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.wordCount);
 TextView charCount = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.charCount);
 @Override
 public synchronized void afterTextChanged(Editable s) {
 wordCount.setText("W: " + String.valueOf(ChosenFile.countWords(entryText.getText().toString())));
 charCount.setText("C: " + Integer.toString(entryText.getText().length()));
 }
 @Override
 public void beforeTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int count, int after) {
 // TODO Auto-generated method stub
 }
 @Override
 public void onTextChanged(CharSequence s, int start, int before, int count) {
 // TODO Auto-generated method stub
 }
});

Are new instances of textviews wordCount and CharCount created each time the listener is invoked? Would it be better to make them global?

How is memory handled? Lets say new instances are created, how does that affect memory?

• Ixrec: Do the answers to Is repeatedly instantiating an anonymous class wasteful? on SO answer your question?
• user22815: Without knowing the implementation of findViewById() we cannot say for sure.
• Caleb: by "each time the listener is invoked", Do you mean when addTextChangedListener is called? Or when afterTextChanged is called?
• user3439343: @Caleb For argument, lets say both.
• Caleb: For afterTextChanged context, @FlorianF answer bellow is correct. For addTextChangedListener context, @Snowman context is correct. It depends on if the findViewById creates a new instance or not.

Answer 1

The variables wordCount and charCount are created and initialized only when the TextWatcher object is created and added as a listener. No new instance is created every time the text changes.

• COME FROM: This answer is correct. I wonder why it got downvoted.