class loading

[Mary John]

 class Animal{
    
    static { System.out.println("Animal");}
}
class Dog extends Animal{
    
    static { System.out.println("Dog");}
}
  public class Beagle extends Dog{
    
    static { System.out.println("Beagle");}
    
 public static void main(String []args)
    {
    
    System.out.println("In main Beagle");
    new Animal();
    new Beagle();
    }
    
}   

result of above code is

Animal
Dog
Beagle
In main Beagle

can anybody explain why classes are loaded in the above order.ie Parents followed by children

shouldnt the executing class be loaded first. or is it because
all of these classes were defined in the same file "Beagle.java"

[marc weber]

Beagle extends Dog, so the first step in initializing the Beagle class is to initialize the Dog class.

Dog extends Animal, so the first step in initializing the Dog class is to initialize the Animal class.

Animal extends Object, so the first step in initializing the Animal class is to initialize the Object class.

[yogesh sood]

If you still have some doubt after reading Marc response then i think reading this from corey should help.


[ October 16, 2007: Message edited by: yogesh sood ]

[Mary John]

Thanks Marc and Yogesh for your responses.

I got it now.