Question

Is it possible to access a child class constant from within a static method in the parent class?

public class Model  {

    public static void someMethod(){
        HERE I WANT TO GET THE MODEL_NAME constant!
    }
}

public class EventModel extends Model {
    public static final String MODEL_NAME = "events";
}

and in some other place I call:

EventModel.someMethod();

Answer 1

Try it!

If the constant is declared private, then no. If it is public, then yes, as anyone can access it. The parent class is largely irrelevent here.

class Parent {
    public static void Foo() {
        int x = Child.YEP;    // Ok
        int y = Child.NOPE;   // Error
    }
}

class Child extends Parent {
    public  static final int YEP  = 42;
    private static final int NOPE = 66;
}

Foo is defined in Parent, and thus cannot access private members of Child.

How about this?

class Parent {
    abstract String getModelName();

    public void someMethod() {
        String myModel = getModelName();
    }
}

class Child extend Parent {
    String getModelName() { return "events"; }
}

Note however, that the method is no longer public.