What Does 'static' Mean in Java and How Is It Used?

Understanding 'static' in Java

As a beginner in Java, grasping the concept of 'static' can be puzzling. Let's break it down in layman's terms.

'Static' denotes that a variable or method is accessible at the class level. This means that unlike non-static elements, you don't have to create an instance of the class to access them.

Consider the following example:

public class StaticExample {
    public static void doStuff(){
        // does stuff
    }
}

Here, the method doStuff is marked as 'static'. This allows you to call it directly against the class, like this:

StaticExample.doStuff();

Without 'static', you would need to create an instance of StaticExample first, like this:

StaticExample example = new StaticExample();
example.doStuff();

'Static' is particularly useful for shared resources or functionality that doesn't need to be specific to individual instances of a class.

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