Timeline for Why can static methods only use static data?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
30 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Feb 28, 2017 at 8:38 | history | protected | gnat | ||
| Nov 18, 2015 at 7:56 | history | unprotected | yannis | ||
| Nov 2, 2015 at 6:13 | history | protected | gnat | ||
| May 2, 2014 at 21:00 | answer | added | Loren Pechtel | timeline score: 2 | |
| Feb 13, 2014 at 21:36 | comment | added | FastAl | @hippo and basha - They can use instance methods. Just pass in a reference to an instance as a parameter. They can even access its private members. class Foo { static int FooVal(Foo thisFoo) { return thisFoo.val(); }} Of course in this example you'd just make that an instance method. And most others too. For example if you wanted to use a static method on foo like Foo.compare(foo1,foo2) you could instead make it instance and use it like foo1.compare(foo2). Hope I don't sound like a foo. | |
| Sep 14, 2013 at 19:25 | audit | First posts | |||
| Sep 14, 2013 at 19:26 | |||||
| Sep 12, 2013 at 23:57 | comment | added | hippo-dancer | To paraphrase Gertrude Stein: "There's no this there." | |
| Sep 12, 2013 at 20:27 | answer | added | Pedro Henrique A. Oliveira | timeline score: 1 | |
| Sep 12, 2013 at 4:07 | review | Close votes | |||
| Sep 12, 2013 at 21:01 | |||||
| Sep 12, 2013 at 3:20 | comment | added | Ben Hocking |
I think it's worth pointing out that static methods sometimes do use non-static data. It's not uncommon for a static method by the name of main to create an instance of the class and to (occasionally) use non-static data from that instance. (Of course, it's not limited to main, but that's where one is most likely to encounter this behavior.)
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| Sep 12, 2013 at 2:46 | comment | added | acarlon | To understand this fully, you also need to consider the inverse - why static methods can't use instance member methods, properties or variables without first creating an instance. Understanding this helps you to see the complete picture. | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 22:30 | answer | added | sixtyfootersdude | timeline score: 1 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 18:59 | comment | added | user8709 | @Geek - the existence of static methods, static data is a language design issue. Assuming standard meanings, the fact that static methods cannot access instance data is not. The limitation is implied by the definitions and what is possible and makes sense, not by some language designers foibles. | |
| S Sep 11, 2013 at 18:32 | history | suggested | Matsemann | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
reworded the question and title
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| Sep 11, 2013 at 18:25 | comment | added | gnat | @Geek apparently, you read the question differently than me | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 18:19 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Sep 11, 2013 at 18:32 | |||||
| Sep 11, 2013 at 18:13 | comment | added | Geek | @gnat in this case OP is trying to understand the reason behind a design decision. What do you expect him to try in this case? | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 18:04 | comment | added | gnat | Sharing your research helps everyone. Tell us what you've tried and why it didn’t meet your needs. This demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to try to help yourself, it saves us from reiterating obvious answers, and most of all it helps you get a more specific and relevant answer. Also see How to Ask | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 15:15 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/#!/StackProgrammer/status/377812741484204033 | ||
| Sep 11, 2013 at 15:01 | answer | added | Tulains Córdova | timeline score: 1 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 14:44 | vote | accept | Srikanth nadimpally | ||
| Sep 11, 2013 at 14:10 | comment | added | Doc Brown | Google provides you with dozens of explanations, see for example easysteps2buildwebsite.com/2013/05/static-vs-non-static-methods or here cscie160-distance.com/nonstatic.html | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 14:08 | answer | added | gbjbaanb | timeline score: 24 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 14:04 | answer | added | KChaloux | timeline score: 74 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 14:03 | answer | added | Random42 | timeline score: 3 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 13:57 | answer | added | smp7d | timeline score: 3 | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 13:56 | comment | added | user40980 | The wikipedia artcile Method may help shead some insight into this. | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 13:55 | comment | added | mouviciel | Because only static data exist from the point of view of static methods. | |
| Sep 11, 2013 at 13:49 | history | edited | 9000 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
spelling
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| Sep 11, 2013 at 13:43 | history | asked | Srikanth nadimpally | CC BY-SA 3.0 |