Static Keyword

The static keyword in Java is used to indicate that a particular member (variable, method, or inner class) belongs to the class itself, rather than to instances of the class. It can be applied to variables, methods, blocks, and nested classes.

Key Points:

  • Static variables are shared among all instances of the class. They can be accessed without creating an instance of the class.
  • Static methods can be called without creating an instance of the class and can only access static variables and methods.
  • Static blocks are used for static initializations and are executed when the class is loaded into memory.

Example:

class Counter {
    static int count = 0;

    // Static method to increment the count
    public static void increment() {
        count++;
    }

    // Static method to display the count
    public static void displayCount() {
        System.out.println("Count: " + count);
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Counter.increment();
        Counter.increment();
        Counter.displayCount();  // Output: Count: 2
    }
}

🔗 Related Notes