Java abstract static Workaround

Question

I understand that neither a abstract class nor an interface can contain a method that is both abstract and static because of ambiguity problems, but is there a workaround?

Answer 1

I'd make a WidgetCollection class with an abstract Widget inner class.

You can extend the WidgetCollection.Widget class for each of your types of Widget.

No static methods necessary.

Example (not compiled or tested):

class WidgetCollection {
    Set widgets = new HashSet();

    Set getAll() {
        return widgets;
    }

    abstract class Widget {

       Widget() {
           widgets.add(this);
       }

       abstract String getName();
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
         WidgetCollection aWidgets = new WidgetCollection();
         a.new AWidget();

         Set widgets = aWidgets.getAll();
    }
}

class AWidget extends Widget {
    String getName() {
        return "AWidget";
    }
}