Static classes

[Maduranga Liyanage]

Hey..

1) How can I name a static method in a class? I can creat a method with only the "static" word, but i cant name that method. it gives an compiler error. Is it illegal to name a static method?

2)Suppose I have a "base" class and the "sub" class which is extended from "base" class. If both these classes have main() methods, when I creat an instance of "sub" class, why doesnt it run the static main() method in "base" class. But all the other static methods in the "base" class run when an "sub" class instance is created.

Thank you guys...

[Steven Bell]

It sounds like you are doing so weird things with static methods. Static methods are not inherited and should not be called from an instance of a class, but rather from the class itself.

example:

public class MyClass(){
  public static someMethod(){
    System.out.println("In MyClass static someMethod.");
  }
}
 
class OtherClass(){
  public static void main(String[] args){
    MyClass.someMethod();//right way
    MyClass var = new MyClass();
    var.someMethod();//should never be done.
  }
}

Could you post your code? and use the code tags (you'll see a code button below where you post)

[Alan Jump]

1) A static method can look like this... (from Head First Java)

public static int min(int a, int b) {
// method code body here
};

2) Think "overriding methods."

[ May 27, 2005: Message edited by: Alan Jump ]

(edited to remove oversize quote)
[ May 27, 2005: Message edited by: Alan Jump ]

[Steven Bell]

Originally posted by Alan Jump:

2) Think "overriding methods."

No, static methods cannot be overriden. They can be 'hidden' by a static method with the same signature in a subclass, but they are never overriden.

[Alan Jump]

My bad...you're right...if there's a main() in the superclass and also in the subclass, the fact that the "standard" signature for main() includes the static designator will hide the main() in the superclass from the main() in the subclass. My thinking was that since neither the arguments or return type change between them, it could be thought of as an override.

Hrm...I'd better stop before I confuse anyone (including myself) any worse...