I have a question about the data type static

Question

for any of you that read my last post for my assignment this is still the same thing but i have broke it down more, but i am getting an error and i am not for sure i understand why that is. I think i am confused on why i should, or could use a static?
thanks again guys
package wordstester;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
* @author christopher izatt
public class WordsTester {
     * @param args the command line arguments
    public static void main(String[] args) {
              // prompt the user to enter a string of their choice
      String wordChosen;
      wordChosen = JOptionPane.showInputDialog
          ("Please enter a word of your choice here");
      String middlePart;
      middlePart = Words.getMiddle(wordChosen);      <----- error nonstatic method can not be referenced in a static context
      System.out.println("At the middle of " + wordChosen + " is: "
                 + middlePart);
package wordstester;
* @author christopher izatt
    public class Words {
    private String wordChosen;
    public String Words(String letters) {
        wordChosen = letters;
        return wordChosen;
    public String getMiddle(String wordChosen) {
        int letters = wordChosen.length() / 2;
        int endindex = letters +1;
        return wordChosen.substring(letters, endindex);
   

Answer 1

Try this.
Imagine a blueprint from which houses are constructed. The blueprint indicates that each house will have a garage, a roof, a front door, etc. However, each house will have its own roof - be it a tar shingle roof or a cedar roof or maybe thatch - but that's another issue.
Now, in the lower left corner of the blueprint, we find the architect's name and company logo. That logo is part of the blueprint - each house will NOT have its own discreet copy of that item. Instead, each house will share the one and only copy of that logo.
That's what static members are. They are called "class variables" or "class methods" and are accessed through the class name instead of an object name.
I hope that helps.