I really don't understand why the getMyClass2 method below cannot be static, why isn't it valid Java code?
public class MyClass
{
private class MyClass2
{
public String s1 = "";
public String s2 = "";
}
private MyClass2 myClass2;
private static MyClass2 getMyClass2()
{
MyClass2 myClass2 = new MyClass2();
return myClass2;
}
public MyClass()
{
myClass2 = getMyClass2();
}
}
You have to say that the inner class is static because non-static is bound to the instance so it cannot be returned from static method
public class MyClass
{
private static class MyClass2
{
public String s1 = "";
public String s2 = "";
}
private MyClass2 myClass2;
private static MyClass2 getMyClass2()
{
MyClass2 myClass2 = new MyClass2();
return myClass2;
}
public MyClass()
{
myClass2 = getMyClass2();
}
}
The (non static) inner class instances are always associated with an instance of the class they are contained within. The static method will be called without reference to a specific instance of MyClass, therefore if it created an instance of MyClass2 there would be no instance of MyClass for it to be associated to.
Yes,
because 99% of the time you don't want them static ;D
A static "nested" class is nothing more than a "top level" class that is defined inside of another class. If the static class MyClass2 in the example above would be public, you simply could say new MyClass.MyClass2(); In case of a normal "inner class" you would hav to say that to an object, not to the class MyClass: MyClass some = new MyClass() and then something like new some.MyClass2() (I forgot the exact syntax).
Regards