Java: Static vs Instance Methods — a definition

Static methods in Java are also called "class methods" as they are shared by all instances of a class (aka objects of a class). So static methods can be used to increment a class field that is also shared by all instances of a certain class. A class field is just a variable within the class scope. This variable might be used to increment a serial number which would be independently accessible by all instances of a certain class.

Instance methods are just regular object methods that can be only called by an instantiated object and which are only relevant within a specific class instance (aka object).


class MyClass {
    private static int myClassId = 1; // this is a class field, 
                                                 // this variable is called "field" because it has a class-wide scope
    private int myObjectId = 1; // this is an instance field,
                                          // this variable is called "field" because it has a class-wide scope

    public static void incMyClassIdIncrementer() { // this is a class method
        myClassId++; // this is bad style as this field could be confused with an instance field
        MyClass.myClassId++;  // this statement is equivalent to the above statement,
                                               // static fields should be referred to using class' name
                                     
        System.out.println("myClassId: " + MyClass.myClassId);
    }

    public void printMyObjectId() {  // this is an instance method
        // the this keyword is optional and refers to "within this class"
        System.out.println("myObjectId: " + this.myObjectId);
    }
}

MyClass.incMyClassIdIncrementer(); // this is is the only way to call class methods
MyClass myClass = new MyClass(); // here a class is instantiated and its instance,
                                                           // aka the object is assigned to a variable
myClass.printMyObjectId();              // this is the only way to call instance methods,
                                                            // by referring to them via object variables