Does it even make sense to say something is a "literal variable" in Java?

Question

I am taking an introductory Java class, and strongly suspect one of the answers to a quiz I took today may be incorrect. The question was as follows:

String name = "Grizzlies";

The above is an example of a __ variable.

There were two choices for the blank: class or literal.

I picked class (reluctantly), since calling something a "literal variable" did not make sense to me at all.

The answer key said "literal variable" is the correct answer.

Does this even make sense in Java? From my understanding, a literal is a fixed value that is expressed as itself rather than in the form of a variable, and so never changes and never gets assigned to a variable. Some example of literals include numeric literals such as 3.14 or String literals such as "Notre Dame".

A variable, in contrast, gets assigned a value and can and does change by its very definition.

So in my mind, it would be just as nonsensical to say something is a "constant variable" as it would be to say something is a "literal variable."

Can anyone verify whether my understanding is correct? If I'm wrong and the answer key is right, where am I going wrong with my thinking? If I'm right and the answer key is wrong, what should I tell my teacher?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

The terminology the quiz used is confusing (I've never heard someone refer to anything as a "literal variable"), but it is correct to say that "Grizzlies" is a "String literal".

Answer 2

It is kind of ok as of the duality of Java Strings. For once they are immutable, they are String literals, on the other hand the variable is nothing but a pointer to one of these immutable Strings and therefore variable.

One could call this "literal variable", while "variable that points to a literal" would be more correct, yet longer.

Answer 3

Taken from Java datatypes

"A literal is the source code representation of a fixed value; literals are represented directly in your code without requiring computation. As shown below, it's possible to assign a literal to a variable of a primitive type:"

Also its strange to call something a literal variable. Just literal or String literal makes more sense here.

Answer 4

As per JLS

There are seven kinds of variable. One of these is , class variable. Among the 7 types , there is no mention of Literal Variables. :) . Other notables are instance variable,Array components,Method parameters,Constructor parameters,An exception parameter and Local variables.

A class variable is a field declared using the keyword static within a class 
declaration , or with or without the keyword static within an 
interface declaration

Now ,since there is no body defined in your question , you cannot classify it as Local or Class etc.

String literals  are references to instances of class String.

So the answer should be reference variable.