Are instances of enums static by default?

Question

enum Animals{
    DOG(\"woof\"),
    CAT(\"Meow\"),
    FISH(\"Burble\");

    String sound;

    Animals(String s) {
            sound = s;
    }
}
public class TestEnu         


        

Answer 1

Yes, enums are effectively static.

Answer 2

Enums are implicitly public static final.

You can refer to a.DOG because you may access static members through instance references, even when null: static resolution uses the reference type, not the instance.

I wouldn't; it's misleading: convention favors type (not instance) static references.

See JLS 6.5.6.2 regarding class variable via instances. See JLS 15.11 for why it still works with a null. Nutshell: it's the reference type, not the instance, through which statics are resolved.

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Updated links :/

JSE 6

• JLS 6.5.6.2 regarding class variable access via expression name
• JLS 15.11 regarding static field access via null references

JSE 7

• JLS 6.5.6.2 regarding class variable access via expression name
• JLS 15.11 regarding static field access via null references

JSE 8

• JLS 6.5.6.2 regarding class variable access via expression name
• JLS 15.11 regarding static field access via null references