forward referencing

[anita dhar]

can any one explain the flow of this programme

public class Myclass
{
private static int x = getValue();
private static int y = 5;
private static int getValue()
{
return y;
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println(x);
}
}

[Ajay Chandravadiya]

stumped to see the output! how is it initializing it?can someone explain to length please?
(good question buddy!)

[Maneesh Godbole]

Isnt it obvious?

Step 1.
private static int x = getValue(); This makes a call to the getValue().
Step 2.
The getValue is coded to return the value of y. But at this stage y is yet to be initialized. So the default value of an int i.e. zero is returned. So we have the condition x=0
Step 3.
Now y is initialized with 5 and we have y=5;

Because the way the code is written, the impression is that the o/p will be 5.
[ August 23, 2007: Message edited by: Maneesh Godbole ]

[anita dhar]

o/p of this programm is 0

[Maneesh Godbole]

Originally posted by anita dhar:
o/p of this programm is 0

Of course the output is 0. I have explained in my post how it is 0.

Originally posted by maneesh godbole:
Because the way the code is written, the impression is that the o/p will be 5.