can u run main method in an inner class directly?

[Sandya Bhaskara]

c the code

public class Test  {  
 
       static int i=3;
        public static class I{
              public static void main(String args[]){
              System.out.println(i);
              }
        }
}
 

compile the Test class javac Test.java
Test.class and Test$I.class are created..
I tried to run the inner class by giving java Test$I.java..got error noClassDefFoundError..why cant u run an innerclass like this??can because only toplevel classes be run using java classname.java command?

[Jessica Sant]

it'll work -- you just need to call it correctly.

So if you were going to compile/run the class "Blah.java" you'd do this:
> javac Blah.java
// this creates Blah.class
> java Blah

In the same token, if you wanted to compile and run the inner class within "Test.java" you'd do this:
>javac Test.java
// this creates Test.class and Test$I.class
>java Test$I
// and voila! it prints 3