How to access variable from a static method

Question

I want to access a variable from a static method.

For example :

public class ABC
{
    public static void ABC()
    {
        int abc = 123;
        int bcd = 234;
    }
    public int getabc()
    {
        int tempabc = abc;
        return tempabc;
    }
    public int getbcd()
     {
        int tempbcd = bcd;
        return tempbcd;
    }
   public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        System.out.println(ABC.getabc());
    }
}

So here's the error code :

error: cannot find symbol
        int tempabc = abc;
                      ^
symbol:   variable abc
location: class ABC

error: cannot find symbol
        int tempbcd = bcd;
                      ^
symbol:   variable bcd
location: class ABC

error: non-static method getabc() cannot be referenced from a static context
        System.out.println(ABC.getabc());
                              ^
3 errors

So, how can I access the value of the variable from a static method?

EDIT :

I have edited the code, and I just want to get the value of abc from the static ABC(). But based on the sample code above, it's show error when compiled.

The sample code is have the same style of the program code.

OK, here is my program code :

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class ReadHighestScoreFile
{   
    public static void ReadHighestScoreFile() throws IOException
    {
        final int NAME_SIZE = 35;
        String name = "";
        public static String names = 0;
        static int hours, minutes, seconds, clicks;

        File file = new File("Highest.txt");
        RandomAccessFile out = new RandomAccessFile(file, "rw");

        for (int i = 0; i < NAME_SIZE; i++)
        {
            name += out.readChar();
        }

        names = name;
        hours = out.readInt();
        minutes = out.readInt();
        seconds = out.readInt();
        clicks = out.readInt();

        System.out.println(">> Name : " + names);
        System.out.println(">> Hour : " + hours);
        System.out.println(">> Minute: " + minutes);
        System.out.println(">> Second : " + seconds);
        System.out.println(">> Click : " + clicks);     

        out.close();
    }
}

My program is used to access a file named Highest.txt. But I need to get the values of names, hours, minutes, seconds, and clicks to implement to my main program. I found this problem when I tried to implement it to my main program.

If I doing it seperately, meaning that I create a main method for this code, it will work fine. But now I need to get these values for my main program to perform other operations.

Your ABC() method looks suspiciously like an attempt at a "static constructor", which doesn't really make much sense. — Andrew Marshall
– Andrew Marshall, Commented May 16, 2012 at 15:23
You're trying to access function-scope variables rather than static variables. — Nick
– Nick, Commented May 16, 2012 at 15:23
Try to read this first: docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/index.html — Guillaume Polet
– Guillaume Polet, Commented May 16, 2012 at 15:23

adarshr · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 15:23:07Z

2

abc is a method local variable. It can't be accessed outside that method.

answered May 16, 2012 at 15:23

adarshr

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Comments

Makoto · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 15:24:52Z

2

abc has local scope with respect to ABC(). If you want it back, you could return an int from ABC() instead:

public static int ABC()
{
    int abc = 123;
    return abc;
}

public static void main(String[] args)
{
    System.out.println(ABC());
}

answered May 16, 2012 at 15:24

Makoto

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Comments

Ravinder Reddy · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 16:25:44Z

1

Your posting has conflicting statements:

1. how to access variable from a static class?

Your code does not have a static class defined but a static method with same name as class ABC.

2. static method that has same name as class `ABC`.

If you are thinking that it is the way creating a static class, it is wrong. Static classes can only be inner to Outer classes.

3. tempabc = abc.

Even if you define a static class, accessing non static variables is not in this way. Unless the variable too is a static, you require to create an instance of the static class and access the variable value in an appropriate way.

Answer to second part of your posting:
You should define a class to encapsulate the said fields as defined below:

class HighestData {
    String names;  
    int hours;  
    int minutes;  
    int seconds;  
    int clicks;  

    // define setter, getter methods or a constructor with input params for above fields.
}

Change method from void to return object of HighestData.

public static HighestData ReadHighestScoreFile() throws IOException {  
    // your code here  
    // ...  
    HighestData data = new HighestData();  
    data.setName( name );  
    data.setHours( out.readInt() );  
    data.setMinutes( out.readInt() );  
    data.setSeconds( out.readInt() );  
    data.setClicks( out.readInt() );  
    // ...  
    return data;  
}

The caller of ReadHighestScoreFile() method can now have handle to HighestData object and use it to process further.

Lastly but important that, unlike in C, you can't define local static fields in Java. They must be at class level.

edited May 16, 2012 at 16:25

answered May 16, 2012 at 16:20

Ravinder Reddy

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4 Comments

Chin Over a year ago

My fault, it's method, not class. I'm following the example from the reference book, but the book's example has main method.

Ravinder Reddy Over a year ago

@AnonyNewbie - My answer to your second part of posting should be helping solve your problem.

Chin Over a year ago

I'll give it a try. Any result I will comment here later. Thanks.

Chin Over a year ago

Seems like my code is calling the class instead of calling the method.

Eng.Fouad · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 15:36:47Z

0

Try adding a get that returns a String:

public static String getABC()
{
    string i = "abc";
    return i;
}

Then call that function:

System.out.println(getABC());

edited May 16, 2012 at 15:36

Eng.Fouad

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answered May 16, 2012 at 15:28

Frantumn

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Comments

Pierre-Antoine · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 15:49:49Z

0

Your variable is not a class variable but a method variable. Make sure you know what you are doing if you use static variable. It is often a bad idea to use them. Here is how you can access a static variable.

public static class ABC {
  public static int someInt = 123;
}

public static class MainClass {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    System.out.println(ABC.someInt);
  }
}

edited May 16, 2012 at 15:49

answered May 16, 2012 at 15:41

Pierre-Antoine

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Comments

PeakGen · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-16 15:56:43Z

0

Have you really tried compiling the code? If yes, then you may haven't noticed that there are lot of issues in the code.

In here "int tempabc = abc;" you are trying to access the variable in another method, which is not visible outside of the method it was declared
The same above incident is here "int tempbcd = bcd;"

3.The answer to your question is, you cannot access a non static method from a static method. Add the access specifier static to the method you need to access from the main.

answered May 16, 2012 at 15:56

PeakGen

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Comments

Jeffrey Blake · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-17 01:36:34Z

0

You need to declare it in the class scope:

public static int abc = 123;

edited May 17, 2012 at 1:36

Jeffrey Blake

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answered May 16, 2012 at 15:24

Horonchik

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