What does the word 'static' mean in Java?

The static keyword in Java is used to control access to class members (fields and methods) and their lifecycle.

• Static fields (class variables): Belong to the class, not to an instance. There is only one copy of a static field for all objects of the class. They are initialized when the class is loaded into memory.

  public class Example {
      static int count = 0; // Static field
  }
  

  Access to static fields is done through the class name: Example.count.

• Static methods (class methods): Also belong to the class, not to an instance. They can be called without creating an object of the class. Static methods do not have access to non-static fields or non-static methods of the class because an instance of the object is needed for their existence.

  public class Example {
      static void display() { // Static method
          System.out.println("This is a static method.");
      }
  }
  

  Call a static method: Example.display().

• Static initialization blocks: Used to initialize static fields or perform other actions when the class is loaded for the first time. They are executed once.

  public class Example {
      static { // Static initialization block
          System.out.println("Class Example loaded.");
      }
  }
  

• Static inner classes: An inner class marked as static does not have an implicit reference to the outer (enclosing) class. It can be created without an instance of the outer class.

  public class Outer {
      static class Inner { // Static inner class
          // ...
      }
  }
  

  Creating an instance of a static inner class: Outer.Inner inner = new Outer.Inner();

Overall, static means that a class member is associated with the class itself, not with its specific instance.