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Static Keyword

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Manideep Pendyala
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2 views2 pages

Static Keyword

Uploaded by

Manideep Pendyala
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Static Keyword

In Apex (and other object-oriented languages like Java), the static keyword is used
to indicate that a method, variable, or block belongs to the class itself rather than to
instances of the class.

Key Concepts of static:

Class-Level Association:

1. When you declare a method or variable as static, it belongs to the class itself,
not to any particular object or instance of the class.
2. This means you can call a static method or access a static variable without
creating an object of the class.

Example:

public class Car {


public static String brand = 'TATA'; // Static variable

public static void showBrand() { // Static method


System.debug(brand);
}
}

// No need to create an instance of Car to call the static method


Car.showBrand(); // Outputs: TATA

Shared Across All Instances:

1. Static variables are shared across all instances of a class. If you change the value of a
static variable, that change is reflected across all instances of the class.

Example:

public class Car {


public static String brand = 'TATA';
}

Car.brand = 'Tesla'; // Changing the static variable


System.debug(Car.brand); // Outputs: Tesla for all instances of the class
Static Methods:

 A static method can only access static variables or other static methods directly. It
cannot access instance variables (non-static) because instance variables are tied to
individual objects, not the class as a whole.
 Static methods are often used when behavior or functionality is general and does
not depend on specific object state (i.e., it’s the same for all instances).

Example:

public class MathUtils {


public static Integer add(Integer a, Integer b) {
return a + b;
}
}

// Usage without needing an instance


Integer result = MathUtils.add(5, 10); // Outputs: 15

When to Use static:

Use static when the data or behavior is not tied to any specific instance of a class. For
example:

1. Utility methods (e.g., MathUtils.add)


2. Constants or configurations that apply to the class as a whole
3. Caching values that are shared across instances

Summary:
 static members belong to the class, not to any instance.
 static methods can only interact with other static members.
 static members are shared across all instances of the class, and changes to them are
reflected globally.

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