Does class loads into memory if we access its static final datamember?

Question

class A
{
static final int i=10;
static 
{
    System.out.println("Static A");
}

}
public class B {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
     System.out.println(A.i);
     }  
  }

In the above code snippet,wheather class A is loading into the memory or not? If class A is loading into the memory why SIB is not executing?If class A is not loading into memory how we able to access its member in class B.

nice question, I like it. keep it up – Keerthivasan Feb 28 '14 at 06:45 — Keerthivasan, Feb 28 '14 at 06:45

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

5

A static final int field is a compile-time constant and its value is hard coded into the destination class without a reference to its origin.

Therefore your main class does not trigger the loading of the class containing the field.

Therefore the static initializer in that class is not executed.

Thanks to OP's answer

edited May 23 '17 at 12:28

Community

1
1

answered Feb 28 '14 at 06:41

Abimaran Kugathasan

31,165
11
75
105

1

Great answer :) you beat it! – Keerthivasan Feb 28 '14 at 06:42

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 28 '14 at 06:43

To the Java Language Specification we go

A class or interface type T will be initialized immediately before the first occurrence of any one of the following:

T is a class and an instance of T is created.

T is a class and a static method declared by T is invoked.

A static field declared by T is assigned.

A static field declared by T is used and the field is not a constant variable (§4.12.4).

T is a top level class (§7.6), and an assert statement (§14.10) lexically nested within T (§8.1.3) is executed.

You've done none of these things from your main(), so the static block is not executed, ie. the class is not initialized.

Does class loads into memory if we access its static final datamember?

2 Answers2