reflection of static inner classes

[sander hautvast]

say i have some object x, in which there is (possibly) a static inner class:

Class[] inners=x.getClass.getDeclaredClasses();
for (int i=0; i<inners.length; i++){
if (Modifier.isStatic(inners[i].getModifier())){
...
}
}

I have a reference to x
How do i get a reference to the static inner class ??
NB I mean through reflection!!

[Tony Morris]

Class[] classes = c.getDeclaredClasses(); // returns a reference to all nested classes of 'c'

[sander hautvast]

but I mentioned this method in my question...

I think I got the whole picture now:
The static inner is not accessible through the instance (as opposed to a static member). it's only accessible through the class (hence static).

So my question becomes irrelevant.

[Tony Morris]

You mentioned the method in an erroneous example.
I mentioned the method as the answer.
You seem to be confusing "nested classes" with "inner classes".
There is no such thing as a "static inner class".
In fact, the only difference between a nested class and an inner class is that an inner class must be non-static (Java Language Specification 8.1.2).

Try this:

class X
{
class Inner
{
 
}
 
static class Nested
{
 
}
 
public void m()
{
Class[] nested = X.class.getDeclaredClasses();
 
for (int i=0; i < nested.length; i++)
{
System.out.print(nested[i]);
 
if(java.lang.reflect.Modifier.isStatic(nested[i].getModifiers()))
{
System.out.println(" is nested");
}
else
{
System.out.println(" is nested inner");
}
}
}
 
public static void main(String[] args)
{
new X().m();
}
}

[Peter den Haan]

Originally posted by Tony Morris:
You seem to be confusing "nested classes" with "inner classes".
There is no such thing as a "static inner class".
In fact, the only difference between a nested class and an inner class is that an inner class must be non-static (Java Language Specification 8.1.2).

That is how the JLS defines it, but beware that this definition is not used consistently even in Sun's own literature. In some places, they did talk about "static innner classes". So don't slap those wrists too hard

- Peter

[Tony Morris]

That is how the JLS defines it, but beware that this definition is not used consistently even in Sun's own literature. In some places, they did talk about "static innner classes". So don't slap those wrists too hard

Yeah I know - I meant it as a side note rather than the primary cause of the problem. To clarify, the primary cause of the problem is a) your example doesn't compile b) assumptions about how you would get it to compile (as in my provided sample) result in something that does what you want.