Global variables in Java

Question

How do you define Global variables in Java ?

Answer 1

public class GlobalClass {
     public static int x = 37;
     public static String s = "aaa";
}

This way you can access them with GlobalClass.x and GlobalClass.s

Answer 2

There are no global variables in Java, but there are global classes with public fields. You can use static import feature of java 5 to make it look almost like global variables.

Answer 3

public class GlobalImpl {   

 public static int global = 5;

}

you can call anywhere you want:

GlobalImpl.global // 5

Answer 4

You are better off using dependency injection:

public class Globals {
    public int a;
    public int b;
}

public class UsesGlobals {
    private final Globals globals;
    public UsesGlobals(Globals globals) {
        this.globals = globals;
    }
}

Answer 5

// Get the access of global while retaining priveleges.
// You can access variables in one class from another, with provisions.
// The primitive must be protected or no modifier (seen in example).

// the first class
public class farm{

  int eggs; // an integer to be set by constructor
  fox afox; // declaration of a fox object

  // the constructor inits
  farm(){
    eggs = 4;
    afox = new fox(); // an instance of a fox object

    // show count of eggs before the fox arrives
    System.out.println("Count of eggs before: " + eggs);

    // call class fox, afox method, pass myFarm as a reference
    afox.stealEgg(this);

    // show the farm class, myFarm, primitive value
    System.out.println("Count of eggs after : " + eggs);

  } // end constructor

  public static void main(String[] args){

    // instance of a farm class object
    farm myFarm = new farm();

  }; // end main

} // end class

// the second class
public class fox{

  // theFarm is the myFarm object instance
  // any public, protected, or "no modifier" variable is accessible
  void stealEgg(farm theFarm){ --theFarm.eggs; }

} // end class

Answer 6

Lots of good answers, but I want to give this example as it's considered the more proper way to access variables of a class by another class: using getters and setters.

The reason why you use getters and setters this way instead of just making the variable public is as follows. Lets say your var is going to be a global parameter that you NEVER want someone to change during the execution of your program (in the case when you are developing code with a team), something like maybe the URL for a website. In theory this could change and may be used many times in your program, so you want to use a global var to be able to update it all at once. But you do not want someone else to go in and change this var (possibly without realizing how important it is). In that case you simply do not include a setter method, and only include the getter method.

public class Global{
    private static int var = 5;

    public static int getVar(){
        return Global.var;
    }

    //If you do not want to change the var ever then do not include this
    public static void setVar(int var){
        Global.var = var;
    }
}