Java: getInstance vs Static

Question

What is the purpose of getInstance() in Java?

During my research I keep reading that getInstance() helps achieve a Singleton design pattern (w

Answer 1

Instead of checking for null, I like this a little better.

public class SingleObject {

    //create an object of SingleObject
    private static SingleObject instance = new SingleObject();

    //make the constructor private so that this class cannot be
    //instantiated
    private SingleObject(){}

    //Get the only object available
    public static SingleObject getInstance(){
        return instance;
    }
}

Called with...

public class SingletonPatternDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {

      //illegal construct
      //Compile Time Error: The constructor SingleObject() is not visible
      //SingleObject object = new SingleObject();

      //Get the only object available
      SingleObject object = SingleObject.getInstance();
   }
}

Full code from: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/design_pattern/singleton_pattern.htm