Question

I’ve read Statics in Java are not inherited. I’ve a small program below which compiles and produces 2 2 as output when run. From the program it looks like k (a static variable) is being inherited !! What am I doing wrong?

class Super
{
    int i =1;
    static int k = 2;
    public static void print()
    {
        System.out.println(k);
    }
}
class Sub extends Super
{
    public void show()
    {
        // I was expecting compile error here. But it works !!
        System.out.println(" k : " + k);
    }
    public static void main(String []args)
    {
        Sub m =new Sub();
        m.show();
        print();
    }
} 

Answer 1

The scope in which names are looked up in includes the super class.

The name print is not found in Sub so is resolved in the Super.

When the compiler generates bytecode, the call will be made to Super.print, rather than a call on a method in Sub.

Similarly the k is visible in the sub-class without qualifying it.

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There is no polymorphism here, only inheritance of the contents of a name space. Static methods and all fields do not have polymorphic dispatch in Java, so can only be hidden by sub-classes, not overridden. The post you link to in your comments is using ‘inheritance’ in a somewhat unconventional way, mixing it up with polymorphism. You can have polymorphism without inheritance and inheritance without polymorphism.