Static Methods

Important Info On Static Methods from Java Documentation taken from link: 
https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/java/IandI/override.html

If a subclass defines a static method with the same signature as a static method in the superclass, then the method in the subclass hides the one in the superclass.

The distinction between hiding a static method and overriding an instance method has important implications:

• The version of the overridden instance method that gets invoked is the one in the subclass.
• The version of the hidden static method that gets invoked depends on whether it is invoked from the superclass or the subclass.

Consider an example that contains two classes. The first is Animal, which contains one instance method and one static method:

public class Animal {
    public static void testClassMethod() {
        System.out.println("The static method in Animal");
    }
    public void testInstanceMethod() {
        System.out.println("The instance method in Animal");
    }
}

The second class, a subclass of Animal, is called Cat:

public class Cat extends Animal {
    public static void testClassMethod() {
        System.out.println("The static method in Cat");
    }
    public void testInstanceMethod() {
        System.out.println("The instance method in Cat");
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Cat myCat = new Cat();
        Animal myAnimal = myCat;
        Animal.testClassMethod();
        myAnimal.testInstanceMethod();
    }
}



The Cat class overrides the instance method in Animal and hides the static method in Animal. The main method in this class creates an instance of Cat and invokes testClassMethod()on the class and testInstanceMethod() on the instance.

The output from this program is as follows:

The static method in Animal
The instance method in Cat



As promised, the version of the hidden static method that gets invoked is the one in the superclass, and the version of the overridden instance method that gets invoked is the one in the subclass.