Another puzzling question

[Arthur Blair]

 
public class PassingAndCastingMoreArrays {
    
    static int[] i1 = {1}, // (1)
                 i2 = {3};
 
    static void m1(int[] i1) { // (2)
        int[] i3 = i1; 
        i1 = i2;  // this i1 refers to the local variable (2)
        i2 = i3;
    }
    
    public static void main (String[] args) {
        m1(i1);
        System.out.print(i1[0] + "," + i2[0]);
    }    
}

Since with a static method, there is no "this" how do I refer to the static variable i1 defined at (1) without getting confused with the local variable i1 defined at (2)?

[Praveen Ponna]

As you know the output of your program will be

1,1

because, in case of conflicting variable names the method m1 will prefers the local variable.

If you want to access the variable i1 defined at (1) then you have to provide the class name as the qualifier.

public class PassingAndCastingMoreArrays {
    
    static int[] i1 = {1}, // (1)
                 i2 = {3};
 
    static void m1(int[] i1) { // (2)
        int[] i3 = i1; 
        PassingAndCastingMoreArrays .i1 = i2;  // this i1 refers to the variable (1)
        i2 = i3;
    }
    
    public static void main (String[] args) {
        m1(i1);
        System.out.print(i1[0] + "," + i2[0]);
    }    
}

[steven gerrard]

one of the methods is as suggested by poonam
another method is to use new PassingAndCastingMoreArrays().i1=i2;