Difference between Static methods and Instance met

Question

I was just reading over the text given to me in my textbook and I'm not really sure I understand what it is saying. It's basically telling me that static methods or class methods include the "modifier" keyword static. But I don't really know what that means?

Could someone please explain to me in really simple terms what Static or Class Methods are?

Also, could I get a simple explanation on what Instance methods are?

This is what they give me in the textbook:

There are important practical implications of the presence or absence of the static modifier. A public class method may be invoked and executed as soon as Java processes the definition of the class to which it belongs. That is not the case for an instance method. Before a public instance method may be invoked and executed, an instance must be created of the class to which it belongs. To use a public class method, you just need the class. On the other hand, before you can use a public instance method you must have an instance of the class.

The manner in which a static method is invoked within the definition of another method varies according to whether or not the two methods belong to the same class. In the example above, factorial and main are both methods of the MainClass class. As a result, the invocation of factorial in the definition of main simply references the method name, "factorial".

Answer 1

If state of a method is not supposed to be changed or its not going to use any instance variables.

You want to call method without instance.

If it only works on arguments provided to it.

Utility functions are good instance of static methods. i.e math.pow(), this function is not going to change the state for different values. So it is static.

Answer 2

Instance method vs Static method

1. Instance method can access the instance methods and instance variables directly.

2. Instance method can access static variables and static methods directly.

3. Static methods can access the static variables and static methods directly.

4. Static methods can’t access instance methods and instance variables directly. They must use reference to object. And static method can’t use this keyword as there is no instance for ‘this’ to refer to.

Answer 3

In short, static methods and static variables are class level where as instance methods and instance variables are instance or object level.

This means whenever a instance or object (using new ClassName()) is created, this object will retain its own copy of instace variables. If you have five different objects of same class, you will have five different copies of the instance variables. But the static variables and methods will be the same for all those five objects. If you need something common to be used by each object created make it static. If you need a method which won't need object specific data to work, make it static. The static method will only work with static variable or will return data on the basis of passed arguments.

class A {
    int a;
    int b;

    public void setParameters(int a, int b){
        this.a = a;
        this.b = b;
    }
    public int add(){
        return this.a + this.b;
   }

    public static returnSum(int s1, int s2){
        return (s1 + s2);
    }
}

In the above example, when you call add() as:

A objA = new A();
objA.setParameters(1,2); //since it is instance method, call it using object
objA.add(); // returns 3 

B objB = new B();
objB.setParameters(3,2);
objB.add(); // returns 5

//calling static method
// since it is a class level method, you can call it using class itself
A.returnSum(4,6); //returns 10

class B{
    int s=8;
    int t = 8;
    public addition(int s,int t){
       A.returnSum(s,t);//returns 16
    }
}

In first class, add() will return the sum of data passed by a specific object. But the static method can be used to get the sum from any class not independent if any specific instance or object. Hence, for generic methods which only need arguments to work can be made static to keep it all DRY.

Answer 4

The static modifier when placed in front of a function implies that only one copy of that function exists. If the static modifier is not placed in front of the function then with every object or instance of that class a new copy of that function is made. :) Same is the case with variables.