static initializer block!

[ashok khetan]

hi! why does the given code not compile?? one more thing pl expalain , what do we mean by time of class loading regarding static variables and static initializers?
thanx.
ashok.
________________
public class fort {
static inter ob = new inter() {
static { System.out.println("hi"); }
};
}
interface inter {}

[Valentin Crettaz]

The compiler says
Test.java:5: Method static {} can't be static in local class Test. 1. Only members of interfaces and top-level classes can be static.
static { System.out.println("hi"); }
^
which means that since you are defining an anonymous inner class here, it is neither an interface nor a top-level class.
Val

[Anonymous]

Interesting...
My compiler (jdk 1.3 on win 95 ) says...

C:\Temp>javac fort.java
fort.java:3: inner classes cannot have static declarations
static { System.out.println("hi"); }
^
1 error

Shyam

[Valentin Crettaz]

Yeah sorry I forgot to mention that I was running Java 2 SDK 1.4 beta 2 on Linux...
But this is quite clear that an anonymous cannot be static and thus need not have static initializers. It may have instance initializers though !
Val
[This message has been edited by Valentin Crettaz (edited September 24, 2001).]

[Hassan Naqvi]

Hi,
Even object of interface can't be initiated.Only refernec of interface can be declared.
Regards,
Hassan.

[Valentin Crettaz]

I have to disagree with you Hassen, look at the following code

public class Test{
    public static void main(String[] args) {
Runnable r = new Runnable(){
public void run(){
    System.out.println("run");
}
    };
new Thread(r).start();
    }
}

we have a reference to a Runnable and it has been declared and instantiated, works fine, where's the problem with instantiating an interface ? Interface can't be instantiated, that's true, but with anonymous inner classes you can get that behavior...
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong !
Val