What is proxies in Java?

In Java, a proxy is an object that acts as an intermediary for another object. It allows you to control access to the original object and can be used for various purposes, such as implementing security, logging, or interfacing with remote objects. Java provides the Proxy class, which makes it easy to create dynamic proxy instances that implement one or more interfaces at runtime.

Using proxies can help in adding functionalities in a clean and maintainable way without modifying the original source code. This is particularly useful in scenarios such as Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP), where cross-cutting concerns like logging or transaction management can be handled separately.