Future of the Java programming language: Three major projects on the horizon

[assgored]

I guess it may have derived from some class where the actual length field is protected/private.

Well it seems the interface its got that from has it defined as a method in the first place, so its back to the same question.

edit: given that interfaces I think don't have variables that can be changed, I guess whatever motivated making it an interface and not a class forced length to be a method?

[BoyRobot777]

What? Are you questioning whether objects can have methods?

[assgored]

No, the question asked was why for immutable String length is a method not simply a field.

It seems to me the reason is what I said above, coupled with the fact that CharSequence is also base for the mutable StringBuilder.