Why nested classes behave differently between Java and C#?

Question

I don't understand why the following code errors in Java:

public abstract class TestClass
{
    private final int data;

    protected TestClass(int data) { this.data = data; }

    public final class InnerClass extends TestClass
    {
    private InnerClass(int data) { super(data); }

    public static final TestClass CONSTANT = new InnerClass(5);
    }
}

The error is on the public static final TestClass CONSTANT = new InnerClass(5); part. The errors are:

I:\Documents\NetBeansProjects\TestingGround\src\testingground\TestClass.java:22: error: non-static variable this cannot be referenced from a static context public static final TestClass CONSTANT = new InnerClass(5); ^ I:\Documents\NetBeansProjects\TestingGround\src\testingground\TestClass.java:22: error: Illegal static declaration in inner class TestClass.InnerClass public static final TestClass CONSTANT = new InnerClass(5); ^ modifier 'static' is only allowed in constant variable declarations 2 errors

If I try to achieve the same in C#, it works fine.

public abstract class TestClass
{
    private readonly int data;

    protected TestClass(int data) { this.data = data; }

    public sealed class InnerClass : TestClass
    {
        private InnerClass(int data) : base(data) { }

        public static readonly TestClass CONSTANT = new InnerClass(5);
    }
}

Why does Java not allow this?

I've updated title... Which unfortunately makes this question duplicate of many similar once bing.com/…... but not many answered by Jon Skeet - so lets have another one :) Feel free to reword title to better reflect your problem. — Alexei Levenkov
– Alexei Levenkov, Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 7:02
@AlexeiLevenkov None of the 'duplicates' address this particular issue. One is asking why a C# nested class doesn't have access to its outer class' internals like a Java inner class does. One asks what the difference between a Java static class and a C# static class are, but it's a bit of a cognitive leap from the given answers to the problem in this question. — Pharap
– Pharap, Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 7:17

Jon Skeet · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-19 06:49:42Z

7

To create an inner class (as opposed to a nested static class) you need an instance of the enclosing class - you don't have one in this case. Note that there's no direct equivalent of inner classes in C# - a nested class in C# is more like a nested static class in Java, and the meaning of static in a class declaration in C# is entirely different to the meaning of static in a class declaration in Java.

Option 1

If you really want it to be an inner class, you can write:

public static final TestClass CONSTANT = new SomeConcreteTestClass().new InnerClass(5);

(Where SomeConcreteTestClass is a concrete class extending TestClass)

or, horribly:

public static final TestClass CONSTANT = ((TestClass) null).new InnerClass(5);

Note that you'd need to move the declaration out of InnerClass though, as inner classes can't declare static variables other than compile-time constant expressions:

It is a compile-time error if an inner class declares a member that is explicitly or implicitly static, unless the member is a constant variable (§4.12.4).

So you'd end up with:

public abstract class TestClass
{
    private final int data;

    protected TestClass(int data) { this.data = data; }

    public final class InnerClass extends TestClass
    {
        private InnerClass(int data) { super(data); }        
    }
    public static final TestClass CONSTANT = ((TestClass) null).new InnerClass(5);
}

Option 2

Just make InnerClass static:

public static final class InnerClass extends TestClass

The addition of static there is the only change required. That's now much more like a C# nested class (although generics behave differently, as always...) Ideally at that point you'd rename the class, as it's not an inner class...

edited Mar 19, 2015 at 6:49

answered Mar 19, 2015 at 6:44

Jon Skeet

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1 Comment

Pharap Over a year ago

I'll accept this in 4 minutes when I'm allowed. I was not aware it was possible to instantiate a static class in Java since I'm more used to C#. (Those weren't the actual names of my classes anyway, I simplified my classes for the sake of demonstration.) I know generics would apply differently, Java uses type erasure instead of whatever C#'s technique is, but thanks for the head up anyway. Most languages tend to treat generics differently for various reasons.

Evgeniy Dorofeev · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-19 06:46:35Z

1

Java language does not allow an inner class to declare a member that is explicitly or implicitly static, unless the member is a constant variable, see JLS 8.1.3

answered Mar 19, 2015 at 6:46

Evgeniy Dorofeev

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3 Comments

Pharap Over a year ago

That's basically a rewording of the second error, and thus not helpful.

Jon Skeet Over a year ago

@Pharap: Well, it's an explanation of the source of the second error, with a reference to the JLS. It's not a complete explanation, but I wouldn't say it's "not helpful".

Pharap Over a year ago

@JonSkeet Aside from the fact it wasn't helpful, just copy and pasting a section of the JLS without further elaboration does not make for a very good answer, no matter how simple or complicated the question.

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