Can Static Methods be overridden ?

Question

My question is can static methods be overridden ?
I found this thread [Can Static Method be overridden ?|http://forums.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=644752&start=0&tstart=0] .Since it was too old,i have created this new thread.
According to that thread discussion, Java language states that static methods cannot be overridden.
To which kajbj posted a program which did allow overriding of static methods.To quote him :
I filed a bug report on it. I don't know if it's expected behaviour or not, but I expect the compiler to complain if you add @Override to a static method (since it can't be overridden)
/Kaj This is one small program code which i wrote ,which did not allow static methods to be overridden,but no error as such was displayed.
package fundamentals;
class SuperClass
  public static String getName()
       return "HI,CLASS...SUPER CLASS";
  public int getAge()
       return 20;
} // END OF SUPER CLASS
public class SubClass extends SuperClass{
public static void main(String[] args)
          SubClass objSubClass=new SubClass();
          SuperClass objSuperClass=new SubClass();
          System.out.println(objSubClass.getName());      // SUB CLASS
          System.out.println(objSuperClass.getName());   // SUPER CLASS
          System.out.println(objSubClass.getAge());        // SUB CLASS
          System.out.println(objSuperClass.getAge());     // SUPER CLASS
                 public    static String getName()
                   return "HI,CLASS...SUB CLASS";
                 public int getAge()
                    return 40;
} // END OF MAIN CLASSWhich gives the O/P :
HI,CLASS...SUB CLASS
HI,CLASS...SUPER CLASS
40
40So,the static method was not overridden.
But ,why was no error message displayed ?
Also when i modify the subclass static method,by removing the static keyword as follows :
public  String getName()
                   return "HI,CLASS...SUB CLASS";
                 }A Error Message as :
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.Error: Unresolved compilation problem:
     This instance method cannot override the static method from SuperClassis displayed.
Why this message is displayed after i remove the static keyword ?
So can we say that Java does not allow static method to be overridden but does not display a compile/run time error when this is done ?
Is this a bug as stated by kajbj ?
Please let me know if i am not clear.If this question has been answered somewhere else in this forum,kindly let me know.
Thank you for your consideration.

Answer 1

amtidumpti wrote:
My question is can static methods be overridden ?
I found this thread [Can Static Method be overridden ?|http://forums.sun.com/thread.jspa?threadID=644752&start=0&tstart=0] .Since it was too old,i have created this new thread.
According to that thread discussion, Java language states that static methods cannot be overridden.
To which kajbj posted a program which did allow overriding of static methods.To quote him :
I filed a bug report on it. I don't know if it's expected behaviour or not, but I expect the compiler to complain if you add @Override to a static method (since it can't be overridden)
/Kaj
Sigh! Amti, are you being misleading on purpose? Kaj did not "post a program which did allow overriding of static methods." He posted a program which used the annotation @Override on a static method, like this:
class A {
    public static void m() {}
class B extends A {
    @Override public static void m() {}
}He wondered why it didn't generate an error message. Well, it does now:
A.java:6: method does not override or implement a method from a supertype
    @Override public static void m() {}
    ^
1 error