Static definition!

Question

Consider the following as a start of the next steps:
private static int theInt = -1;Why would one do the following?
Code#1:
static{
   theInt = 10;
}instead of initiating it inside the class constructor like this:
Code#2:
ClassConstuctor(){
    theInt = 10;
}As far as I understand code#1 will run when the object of this class is constructed and code#2 should do the same job. Am I right?
P.S.: All of this is done inside the same class.

Answer 1

BinaryDecimal wrote:
Thanks guys! So are you saying mlk that following code private static int theInt = 10; will cause 'theInt" to be -1 and not 10 during the class load and before creating any instances of this class?No.
private static int theInt = -1;
private static int theSecondInt = theInt;
static {
     theInt = 10;
}would mean that theSecondInt would be -1.
A more complex example:
class Test {
     static final int OBJECT_NOT_READY = -1;
     static final int OBJECT_READY = 10;
     static int objectState = OBJECT_NOT_READY;
     static int numberOfMonkeys = getMonkeyCount();
     static {
          objectState = OBJECT_READY;     
     static int getMonkeyCount() {
          if( objectState == OBJECT_NOT_READY ) {
               return 0; // No monkeys yet.
          return 10;
     public static void main( String arg[] ) {
          System.out.println( "Object ready? " + ( objectState == OBJECT_READY ?
"Aye" : "Nope!" ) );
          System.out.println( "Monkeys? " +  numberOfMonkeys );
          System.out.println( "More Monkeys: " + getMonkeyCount() ) ;
}Notice that getMonkeys changes its behavour depending on if the object have fully inialized, so if called before the class is completely ready it returns something different to when the class is ready to be used. I think this is only useful if you are calling methods in the inialization. Personally I think it smells a little.