Java Inheritance of Static Variable

Question

I have a static variable in my Base123 class

class Base123 {
    public static int statvar;
}

and I have a derived class, Inheritance111, which extends Base123

public class Inheritance111 extends Base123 {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(Inheritance111.statvar);
        System.out.println(Base123.statvar);
        Base123.statvar=10;
        System.out.println(Inheritance111.statvar);
        System.out.println(Base123.statvar);
        System.out.println(statvar);
        Inheritance111.statvar=20;
        System.out.println(Inheritance111.statvar);
        System.out.println(Base123.statvar);
        System.out.println(statvar);
    }
}

I obtained the output for above code as :

0 0 10 10 10 20 20 20

For one class, the static variable is shared across all the objects of the class. But when a class is extended, is the inherited variable in the subclass also the same variable? As the changes made using

Inheritance111.statvar=20;

is changing the value of Base123.statvar.

static variables are not inherited. doesn't mean it can't be accessed. have you tried to do it like that? what result did you get? — Stultuske
– Stultuske, Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 11:22
Static variable is shared across all the objects of that class since it belong to the class information. — ValarDohaeris
– ValarDohaeris, Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 11:24
@Stultuske If I give System.out.println(statvar); I see the value of the static variable from inside the Derived class. — Krishna
– Krishna, Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 11:29
@Stultuske how would you call this then? sharing between classes? — Eugene
– Eugene, Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 11:42
@Eugene why would I have to give a name to it? static members are not inherited. that doesn't mean they can't be used. that does mean, however, that when they're re-defined in the subclass, they don't overwrite, but hide the original. — Stultuske
– Stultuske, Commented Nov 26, 2018 at 12:16

Tarun · Accepted Answer · 2018-11-26 11:35:36Z

1

Yes it refers to same variable as Super class even if you call variable from sub class like Inheritance111.statvar=20;.
You can refer to this JavaDoc static fields

answered Nov 26, 2018 at 11:35

Tarun

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