The static variable in Java is use for memory management mostly. We can use static keyword with variables, methods, nested classes. In this tutorial, will discuss about Static Variable and Static Method only
What is Static Variable?
If any variable is, declare static, then it calls as static variable. The static variable gets memory only once in the class area at the time of class loading
Assume in a college, there are 250 students. Each student has unique name & roll no, so when the objects are create all the instance data members will get the memory. However, the college name is same for all the students. Then we do not need to allocate memory 250 times for the students. Therefore, it is advisable to make the college static variable that means the variable creates once and used by all students.
public class Student {
int RollNo;
String Name;
static String College = "Trinity"; // Static Variable
Student(int r, String n) // Constructor
{
RollNo = r;
Name = n;
}
void DisplayInformation() {
System.out.println("Roll_No: " + RollNo + ", Name: " + Name + ", College: " + College);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Student S1 = new Student(111, "Tom");
Student S2 = new Student(222, "Terry");
S1.DisplayInformation();
S2.DisplayInformation();
}
}
Output
Roll_No: 111, Name: Tom, College: Trinity
Roll_No: 222, Name: Terry, College: Trinity
What is Static Method
If any method is declare static, then it is called static method. Static method belongs to class not to the object of the class.
Static method can be accesse without creating the object of the class.
Static method can access data member and can change the value of it.
public class Student {
int RollNo;
String Name;
static String College = "Trinity"; // Static Variable
Student(int r, String n) // Constructor
{
RollNo = r;
Name = n;
}
static void change() {
College = "CITM";
}
void DisplayInformation() {
System.out.println("Roll_No: " + RollNo + ", Name: " + Name + ", College: " + College);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
change(); //Calling Static method
Student S1 = new Student(111, "Tom");
Student S2 = new Student(222, "Terry");
S1.DisplayInformation();
S2.DisplayInformation();
}
}
Output
Roll_No: 111, Name: Tom, College: CITM
Roll_No: 222, Name: Terry, College: CITM
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