inner class

[Vishnu Prakash]

A inner class may be declared static.

Only a non-static nested class in known as inner class.

comment

[Georgy Bolyuba]

A inner class may be declared static.

In this case it will be not inner but top-level nested class, I guess. The point is the inner class can access instance members of outer and top-level nested class cannot.

[janki tangeda]

What's the difference between an inner class and nested class?

[P Hunjan]

Nested Classes are defined with Static keyword & are considered as Top Level Classes. They don't require the instance of outer class to create their own instance, whereas an inner class is tied to the instance of outer class.

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[Tony Morris]

What's the difference between an inner class and nested class?

Here is my contribution to the world of confusion: http://qa.jtiger.org/GetQAndA.action?qids=67&showAnswers=true

Nested Classes are defined with Static keyword & are considered as Top Level Classes.

This is false, a nested class and a top-level class are mutually exclusive entities. A class cannot be nested and top-level at the same time.