What does it mean that a method or field is "static"?

Question

Hello guys,

What does it mean that a method or field is "static"?

Please anybody tell me..........

I m waiting your most valuable information.

Thanks in advance........

Answer 1

Static variables and methods are instantiated only once per class. In other words they are class variables, not instance variables. If you change the value of a static variable in a particular object, the value of that variable changes for all instances of that class.
Static methods can be referenced with the name of the class rather than the name of a particular object of the class (though that works too). That's how library methods like System.out.println() work. out is a static field in the java.lang.System class.