Java default constructor

What exactly is a default constructor — can you tell me which one of the following is a default constructor and what differentiates it from any other constructor?

public Module() {
   this.name = "";
   this.credits = 0;
   this.hours = 0;
}

public Module(String name, int credits, int hours) {
   this.name = name;
   this.credits = credits;
   this.hours = hours;
}

Neither of them. If you define it, it's not the default.

The default constructor is the no-argument constructor automatically generated unless you define another constructor. Any uninitialised fields will be set to their default values. For your example, it would look like this assuming that the types are String, int and int, and that the class itself is public:

public Module()
{
  super();
  this.name = null;
  this.credits = 0;
  this.hours = 0;
}

This is exactly the same as

public Module()
{}

And exactly the same as having no constructors at all. However, if you define at least one constructor, the default constructor is not generated.

Reference: Java Language Specification

If a class contains no constructor declarations, then a default constructor with no formal parameters and no throws clause is implicitly declared.

Clarification

Technically it is not the constructor (default or otherwise) that default-initialises the fields. However, I am leaving it the answer because

• the question got the defaults wrong, and
• the constructor has exactly the same effect whether they are included or not.

A default constructor is created if you don't define any constructors in your class. It simply is a no argument constructor which does nothing. Edit: Except call super()

public Module(){
}

A default constructor is automatically generated by the compiler if you do not explicitly define at least one constructor in your class. You've defined two, so your class does not have a default constructor.

Per The Java Language Specification Third Edition:

8.8.9 Default Constructor

If a class contains no constructor declarations, then a default constructor that takes no parameters is automatically provided...

Hi. As per my knowledge let me clear the concept of default constructor:

The compiler automatically provides a no-argument, default constructor for any class without constructors. This default constructor will call the no-argument constructor of the superclass. In this situation, the compiler will complain if the superclass doesn't have a no-argument constructor so you must verify that it does. If your class has no explicit superclass, then it has an implicit superclass of Object, which does have a no-argument constructor.

I read this information from the Java Tutorials.

Java provides a default constructor which takes no arguments and performs no special actions or initializations, when no explicit constructors are provided.

The only action taken by the implicit default constructor is to call the superclass constructor using the super() call. Constructor arguments provide you with a way to provide parameters for the initialization of an object.

Below is an example of a cube class containing 2 constructors. (one default and one parameterized constructor).

public class Cube1 {
    int length;
    int breadth;
    int height;
    public int getVolume() {
        return (length * breadth * height);
    }

    Cube1() {
        length = 10;
        breadth = 10;
        height = 10;
    }

    Cube1(int l, int b, int h) {
        length = l;
        breadth = b;
        height = h;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Cube1 cubeObj1, cubeObj2;
        cubeObj1 = new Cube1();
        cubeObj2 = new Cube1(10, 20, 30);
        System.out.println("Volume of Cube1 is : " + cubeObj1.getVolume());
        System.out.println("Volume of Cube1 is : " + cubeObj2.getVolume());
    }
}