initialization of static variables

[nowait shen]

How strange these two examples are!!!
Would anybody like to explain how these two examples happen? and why the second example compiles without saying "illegal forward reference?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Example1:
public class MyClass
{
private static int x = y;
private static int y = 5;

private static int getValue()
{
return y;
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
System.out.println(x);
}
}
Result: compiler error, compiler says illegal forward reference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Example2
public class MyClass
{
private static int x =getValue();
private static int y = 5;

private static int getValue()
{
return y;
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
System.out.println(x);
}
}
Result: print "0"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Jose Botella]

Welcome to the Ranch.
from
JLS 8.3.2.3 the restrictions on the use of fields during initialization:

The declaration of a member needs to appear before it is used only if the member is an instance (respectively static) field of a class or interface C and all of the following conditions hold:
* The usage occurs in an instance (respectively static) variable initializer of C or in an instance (respectively static) initializer of C.
* The usage is not on the left hand side of an assignment.
* C is the innermost class or interface enclosing the usage.
.
.
.
Accesses by methods are not checked in this way.

The usage of y is not within an initializer but in a method. The compiler will not apply the restriction of declaration before usage if usage is in a method.

[Dhanashree Mankar]

I don't understand in example 2 how the method getValue() when referring variable y results into default value i.e it returns o.

[chi Lin]

This is becasue static variables/blocks are initialized
by the order they appear.
when getValue() was accessed to initialize static x,
static y still has not being assigned to 5 (y appear under x)
so x got the default value 0.
if you swap the oder of static x and static y like
private static int y = 5;
private static int x =getValue();
then the output will be 5.

Originally posted by dhanashree:
I don't understand in example 2 how the method getValue() when referring variable y results into default value i.e it returns o.

[nowait shen]

thanks Jose! that's a great help!
I read the JLS 8.3.2.3 and seemed to understand it a little better, though it took me quite much much time to read those profound words and sentences