Module jdk.dynalink
Package jdk.dynalink.beans

# Class StaticClass

java.lang.Object
jdk.dynalink.beans.StaticClass

All Implemented Interfaces:
  `Serializable`

public final class StaticClass extends Object implements Serializable
Object that allows access to the static members of a class (its static methods, properties, and fields), as well as construction of instances using `StandardOperation.NEW` operation. In Dynalink, `Class` objects are not treated specially and act as ordinary Java objects; you can use e.g. `GET:PROPERTY:superclass` as a property getter to invoke `clazz.getSuperclass()`. On the other hand, you can not use `Class` objects to access static members of a class, nor to create new instances of the class using `NEW`. This is consistent with how `Class` objects behave in Java: in Java, you write e.g. `new BitSet()` instead of `new BitSet.class()`. Similarly, you write `System.out` and not `System.class.out`. It is this aspect of using a class name as the constructor and a namespace for static members that `StaticClass` embodies.

Objects of this class are recognized by the `BeansLinker` as being special, and operations on them will be linked against the represented class' static members. The `"class"` synthetic property is additionally recognized and returns the Java `Class` object, just as in Java `System.class` evaluates to the `Class` object for the System class. Conversely, `Class` objects exposed through `BeansLinker` expose the `"static"` synthetic property which returns their `StaticClass` object (there is no equivalent to this in Java).

In summary, instances of this class act as namespaces for static members and as constructors for classes, much the same way as specifying a class name in Java language does, except that in Java this is just a syntactic element, while in Dynalink they are expressed as actual objects.

`StaticClass` objects representing Java array types will act as constructors taking a single int argument and create an array of the specified size.

If the class has several constructors, `StandardOperation.NEW` on `StaticClass` will try to select the most specific applicable constructor. You might want to expose a mechanism in your language for selecting a constructor with an explicit signature through `BeansLinker.getConstructorMethod(Class, String)`.

See Also:
  - Serialized Form

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `static StaticClass`
  `forClass(Class<?> clazz)`
  Retrieves the `StaticClass` instance for the specified class.
  `Class<?>`
  `getRepresentedClass()`
  Returns the represented Java class.

  ### Methods declared in class java.lang.Object

  `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- ## Method Details

  - ### forClass

    public static StaticClass forClass(Class<?> clazz)
    Retrieves the `StaticClass` instance for the specified class.
    Parameters:
      `clazz` - the class for which the static facet is requested.
    Returns:
      the `StaticClass` instance representing the specified class.

  - ### getRepresentedClass

    public Class<?> getRepresentedClass()
    Returns the represented Java class.
    Returns:
      the represented Java class.