Is it possible to create variables at runtime in Java?

Is it possible to create variables at runtime in Java?

The simple answer is No.

Java is a static language and does not support the injection of new variable declarations into an existing compiled program. There are alternatives (in order of decreasing usefulness / increasing difficulty):

• Represent your "variables" as name / value pairs in a Map. Or come up with some other design that doesn't require real dynamic variables.
• Use a scripting language that runs on the JVM and is callable from Java.
• Use some kind of templating mechanism to generate new source code containing the declarations, and compile and load it dynamically.
• Use a byte code manipulation library (e.g. BCEL) to create class files on the fly and then dynamically load them.

The first approach is the best. Java is a static language, and works best if you don't fight it. If this is a problem for you, maybe you are using the wrong language.

The last two are difficult / complicated and have significant performance costs. They are almost certainly not going to help ...

The question is not why you want to do it but 'what are you going to do with it?'. So suppose at runtime variable with the name fruits2 magically appeared on the stack of your method. Now what? You had to know its name at compile time to take advantage of it. Reflection will not help you access local variables.

Anyway, I would be interested if you described more detailed use case.