Can't create a public static final String in java

Question

This code:

public class CommandPrompt {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
      System.out.println(prompt);
    }
  }

Returns this error message:

CommandPrompt.java:5: error: illegal start of expression
public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
^
CommandPrompt.java:5: error: illegal start of expression
public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
       ^
CommandPrompt.java:5: error: ';' expected
public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
             ^
3 errors

I have seen public static final String been used before, why can't I use it here?

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:24:15Z

5

Explanation

You can't use public and static inside a method.
Both are reserved for class attributes: public is an access modifier and static declares a class scoped variable.

Correction

public class CommandPrompt {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
      final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
      System.out.println(prompt);
    }
}

or

public class CommandPrompt {
    public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";

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

Related question

How do I declare a static variable inside the main method ?

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:24

CommunityBot

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answered Mar 31, 2015 at 8:50

NiziL

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Comments

Dragondraikk · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-31 08:50:33Z

1

You cannot declare variables as public or static within a method. Either remove them or move it out of the method block to turn it into a field

answered Mar 31, 2015 at 8:50

Dragondraikk

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Comments

Nithin Varghese · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-31 09:04:41Z

1

Static variables cannot be declared in a method.

It should be delcared in the class level.

Please try

public class CommandPrompt {

public static  String prompt;

public static void main(String[] args) {

prompt=System.getProperty("user.name")+">";

System.out.println(prompt);

}

}

answered Mar 31, 2015 at 9:04

Nithin Varghese

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Comments

damus4 · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-31 08:52:18Z

0

It's because you can only create class level variable inside your class, you don't say, but outside of a method :)

public class CommandPrompt {
 public static final String prompt = System.getProperty("user.name")+">";
 public static void main(String[] args) {
  System.out.println(prompt);
 }
}

Something like that should work.See this tutorial for more information

answered Mar 31, 2015 at 8:52

damus4

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1 Comment

TheLostMind Over a year ago

class-level (static) and instance-level (non-static)

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