(Inner Classes) MyOuter.MyInner vs MyInner

[Leandro Coutinho]

Hi!

I think there is no difference between in the following:

MyOuter.MyInner i1 = new MyInner();
and
MyInner i2 = new MyInner();

I just want to confirm, because in the book I'm studying, the authors only teach the first way.

Thanks.

[Ruben Soto]

Either of those two ways is fine when you want to instantiate a static inner class from within its enclosing class. If you are going to instantiate a static inner class from outside the enclosing class, then you need to use the first form.

[Ryan Beckett]

That's fine if your instantiating the class from within the enclosing class. Otherwise, you'd use:

MyOuter outer = new MyOuter();
MyOuter.MyInner inner  = outer.new MyInner();

or

MyOuter.MyInner inner = new MyOuter().new MyInner();

And, if the class is static

MyOuter.MyInner inner = new MyOuter.MyInner();

[Leandro Coutinho]

Thanks!

Ryan Beckett wrote:That's fine if your instantiating the class from within the enclosing class. Otherwise, you'd use:

MyOuter outer = new MyOuter();
MyOuter.MyInner inner  = outer.new MyInner();

or

MyOuter.MyInner inner = new MyOuter().new MyInner();

It is possible to instantiate a regular inner class this way

MyInner inner = new MyOuter().new MyInner();

from other classes.