Access object created in innerClass from elsewhere java

Question

so i have outerClass and innerClass, and i want to access the object created from innerClass using outerClass, example:

public Class outerClass{
    Class innerClass{
        //properties
    }
}

so what i want to do is something like this:

public class Main {
    public static void main(String [] args) {
        outerClass outerObj = new outerClass();
        outerClass.innerClass innerObj = outerObj.new innerClass();

        //this is what i want:
        outerObj.innerObj;
    }
}

it might be complicated but what i want to do is get the innerObject, using only outerObject

So what is the problem ?

Suresh Atta
– Suresh Atta

2016-03-11 12:43:20 +00:00
Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:43 — Suresh Atta
– Suresh Atta, Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:43
line below comment doesnt work

nikagar4
– nikagar4

2016-03-11 12:46:25 +00:00
Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:46 — nikagar4
– nikagar4, Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:46
Create innerObj in your outerClass.

krzydyn
– krzydyn

2016-03-11 12:46:32 +00:00
Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:46 — krzydyn
– krzydyn, Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 12:46

Pragnani Kinnera · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-11 13:11:49Z

3

This would work:

public class outerClass{
    public static class innerClass{
        //properties
    }
}

edited Mar 11, 2016 at 13:11

Pragnani Kinnera

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answered Mar 11, 2016 at 12:45

Prashant

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1 Comment

Pragnani Kinnera Over a year ago

I thnk it is a valid answer

Nadir · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-11 12:47:23Z

1

public Class outerClass{
    Class innerClass{
        //properties
    }

    public innerClass innerObj;
}

outerObj.innerObj = outerClass.new innerClass();

answered Mar 11, 2016 at 12:47

Nadir

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6 Comments

nikagar4 Over a year ago

yes that's the solution i came up with but is there any easier way?

Suresh Atta Over a year ago

@nikagar4 What do you mean by easier ?

Nadir Over a year ago

To be able to perform outerObj.innerObj there is no other way

nikagar4 Over a year ago

is there a way to do that without that extra property called "innerObj"?

Suresh Atta Over a year ago

@nikagar4 Then you shouldn't say and i want to access the object created from innerClass using outerClass. Create a separate class.

|

Andy Turner · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-11 12:48:56Z

1

outerClass.innerClass innerObj = outerObj.new innerClass();

innerObj is a local variable. You can refer to it directly as

innerObj

answered Mar 11, 2016 at 12:48

Andy Turner

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4 Comments

nikagar4 Over a year ago

i want to access it from another class

Andy Turner Over a year ago

Then you'd need to pass it to the other class. It's just a plain old local variable. outerObj doesn't keep a hold of a reference to innerObj (but innerObj does keep hold of a reference to outerObj).

nikagar4 Over a year ago

yes i understand but i wanted to be able to access it using only outerClass

Andy Turner Over a year ago

@nikagar4 then you don't understand. You can't access it using only outerClass because outerClass (or outerObj) doesn't keep a reference to innerObj, unless you actually add a reference to the instance to the outer class, like Nadir suggests.

nikagar4 · Accepted Answer · 2016-03-11 13:09:39Z

For a non-static inner class, the compiler automatically adds a hidden reference to the "owner" object instance. When you try to create it from a static method (say, the main method), there is no owning instance. It is like trying to call an instance method from a static method - the compiler won't allow it, because you don't actually have an instance to call.

So the inner class must either itself be static (in which case no owning instance is required), or you only create the inner class instance from within a non-static context.

So make your innerClass static

public static class innerClass{
        //properties
    }

You can call

outerClass.innerClass innerObj = new outerClass.innerClass();

If you want to access fields only via dot(.) notation should consider using

static inner field in your outerClass like a PrintStream in System class

Example:

public class outerClass{
    public static innerClass innerObject = new innerClass();
    static  class  innerClass{
            //properties
        }
    }

and then in main method

outerClass outerClass= new outerClass();
        outerClass.innerObject.yourfied

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