Java.util.Observable class in Java

Last Updated : 08 Jul, 2017

java.util.Observable is used to create subclasses that other parts of the program can observe. When an object of such subclass undergoes a change, observing classes are notified. The update( ) method is called when an observer is notified of a change.

Note: Observing class must implement the Observer interface, which defines the update( ) method.

An object that is being observed must follow two simple rules :

If it is changed, it must call setChanged( ) method.
When it is ready to notify observers of this change, it must call notifyObservers( ) method. This causes the update( ) method in the observing object(s) to be called.

Be careful, if the object calls notifyObservers( ) method without having previously called
setChanged( ) method, no action will take place.

The observed object must call both setChanged( ) and notifyObservers( ) method, before update( ) will be called.
Constructor of java.util.Observable :

Observable( )
Construct an Observable with zero Observers.

Methods:

addObserver(Observer observer) : Adds observer to the list of objects observing the invoking object.

Syntax : public void addObserver(Observer observer)
Exception : NullPointerException -> if the parameter observer is null

// Java code to demonstrate addObserver() method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is the observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1 is added"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void incre()  
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        notifyObservers(); 
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.incre(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

Observer1 is added

setChanged() : Called when the invoking object has changed.

Syntax : protected void setChanged( )
Exception : NA.

// Java code to demonstrate setChanged() method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg) { } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        System.out.println("Change status with setChanged :" + hasChanged()); 
        notifyObservers(); 
    } 
      
    void func2() 
    { 
        System.out.println("Change status without setChanged :" + hasChanged()); 
        notifyObservers(); 
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        boolean status; 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
        beingObserved.func2(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

Change status with setChanged :true
Change status without setChanged :false

clearChanged(): Indicates that this object has no longer changed, or that it has already notified all of its observers of its most recent change, so that the hasChanged( ) method will now return false.

Syntax : protected void clearChanged( )
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate clearChanged() method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is the observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Inside Observer1"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is the class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        // clearChanged method removes all the changes made by setChanged method 
        clearChanged(); 
        notifyObservers(); 
          
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
// Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

No Output

No output is obtained because clearChanged( ) method has removed all the changes.

notifyObservers() : Notifies all observers of the invoking object that it has changed by calling update( ).
A null is passed as the second argument to update( ).

Syntax : public void notifyObservers( )
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate notifyObservers( ) method 
import java.util.*; 
   
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1 Notified"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is second observer 
class Observer2 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer2 Notified"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        /*This method notifies the change to all the  
        observers that are registered*/
        notifyObservers(); 
          
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        Observer2 observer2 = new Observer2(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer2); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

Observer2 Notified
Observer1 Notified

notifyObservers(Object obj) : Notifies all observers of the invoking object that it has changed by calling update( ).
obj is passed as an argument to update( ).

Syntax : public void notifyObservers(Object obj)
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate notifyObservers(Object obj) method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1 Notified with value : " +  
                ((Integer)arg).intValue()); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is second observer 
class Observer2 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer2 Notified with value : " +  
                ((Integer)arg).intValue()); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        /*This method notifies the change to all the  
        observers that are registered and passes an object*/
        notifyObservers(new Integer(10)); 
          
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        Observer2 observer2 = new Observer2(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer2); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

Observer2 Notified with value : 10
Observer1 Notified with value : 10

countObservers( ) : Returns the number of objects observing the invoking object.

Syntax : public int countObservers( )
Returns : the number of observers of this object
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate countObservers() method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is second observer 
class Observer2 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer2"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        notifyObservers(); 
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        Observer2 observer2 = new Observer2(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer2); 
        int count_observer = beingObserved.countObservers(); 
        System.out.println("Number of observers is " + count_observer); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
    } 
} 

Output :

Number of observers is 2
Observer2
Observer1

deleteObserver(Observer observer): Removes observer from the list of objects observing the invoking object.
Passing null to this method will have no effect.

Syntax : public void deleteObserver(Observer observer)
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate deleteObserver(Observer observer) method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is second observer 
class Observer2 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer2"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        notifyObservers(); 
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        int count_observer; 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        Observer2 observer2 = new Observer2(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer2); 
          
        count_observer = beingObserved.countObservers(); 
        System.out.println("Number of observers before" +  
        " calling deleteObserver(): " + count_observer); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
          
        // Deleting observer1 
        beingObserved.deleteObserver(observer1); 
        count_observer = beingObserved.countObservers(); 
        System.out.println("No. of observers after"+  
        " calling deleteObserver(): " + count_observer); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
          
    } 
} 

Output :

Number of observers before calling deleteObserver(): 2
Observer2
Observer1
No. of observers aftercalling deleteObserver(): 1
Observer2

deleteObservers() : Removes all observers for the invoking object.

Syntax : public void deleteObservers()
Exception : NA

// Java code to demonstrate deleteObservers() method 
import java.util.*; 
  
// This is first observer 
class Observer1 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer1"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is second observer 
class Observer2 implements Observer 
{ 
    public void update(Observable obj, Object arg)  
    { 
        System.out.println("Observer2"); 
    } 
} 
  
// This is class being observed 
class BeingObserved extends Observable 
{ 
    void func1() 
    { 
        setChanged(); 
        notifyObservers(new Integer(10)); 
    } 
} 
  
class ObserverDemo { 
    // Driver method of the program 
    public static void main(String args[])  
    { 
        int count_observer; 
        BeingObserved beingObserved = new BeingObserved(); 
        Observer1 observer1 = new Observer1(); 
        Observer2 observer2 = new Observer2(); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer1); 
        beingObserved.addObserver(observer2); 
          
        count_observer = beingObserved.countObservers(); 
        System.out.println("Number of observers before" +  
        " calling deleteObserver(): " + count_observer); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
          
        // Deleting all observers 
        beingObserved.deleteObservers(); 
        count_observer = beingObserved.countObservers(); 
        System.out.println("No. of observers after "+  
        "calling deleteObserver(): " + count_observer); 
        beingObserved.func1(); 
          
    } 
} 

Output :

Number of observers before calling deleteObserver(): 2
Observer2
Observer1
No. of observers after calling deleteObserver(): 0

Ref: Observables in Java

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Java.util.Observable class in Java

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