Static members:-
Are loaded into memory when the particular class is loaded.Stay put in memory (hence the word static), although a GC can rearrange all the memory.Go with the class, so should be called by MyClass.itsStaticMemberA class has one copy of each static memberEach instance of the class has one copy of each non-static (better called instance) fieldAccess to static members is controlled just as for instance members: public private [default] or protectedEvery instance of a class has access to all its private static members, but remember there is only ever one copy of each, so they all access the same memory locationPublic static members can be imported into other classes with import static, then used as if they were static members of both classesStatic members are in existence and accessible before any instances have been createdBecause the static members are in memory before the instances are created, the static members cannot find out the memory locations of the instances, so
static methods cannot access "non-static" (instance) members.I hope this all helps.
CR
[edit]Minor formatting corrections[/edit]
[ December 30, 2007: Message edited by: Campbell Ritchie ]
