May 30, 2002 - Using the static Modifier | WebReference

May 30, 2002 - Using the static Modifier

Yehuda Shiran May 30, 2002
Using the static Modifier
Tips: May 2002

Yehuda Shiran, Ph.D.
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The static modifier labels a class member as belonging to the class itself and not to any one of the instances that are created from the class. You can access a static member only when referencing the class rather than referencing its instances. The static modifier can be applied to properties and methods of the class. It cannot be applied to member classes, interfaces, and members of interfaces. You may not combine the static modifier with any of abstract, final, hide, or override. Do not confuse the static modifier with the static statement which is used to label a block of code that initializes static variables.

The following code demonstrates the use of the static modifier:

  class Demo {
    var NonstaticVar : int;      // A non-static field belonging to a class instance.
    static var StaticVar : int;  // A static field belonging to the class.
  }
  // Initialize StaticVar. An instance of Demo is not needed.
  Demo.StaticVar = 42;
  // Create an instance of Demo class.
  var MyDemo : Demo = new Demo;
  MyDemo.NonstaticVar = 5;
  // The static field is not directly accessible from the class instance.
  print(MyDemo.NonstaticVar);
  print(Demo.StaticVar);
The output of this program is:

  5
  42
To learn more about JScript .NET, go to Column 109, JScript .NET, Part III: Classes and Namespaces.