Question

When i run this program, it appears that sometimes 55 will be printed out, although i am certain that 6 is the correct behavior.

Or could it be that i was seeing wrong?

public class Test {
    static int a = 55;

    static {
        a = 6;
    }

    public static void main(String abc[]){
        // a is 6
        System.out.println(a);
    }
}

Edit

I think Cularis got it right, when i shifted the order of the static block and the instantiation and initialization, 55 is printed. It is indeed in texture order.

public class Test {
    static {
        a = 6;
    }

    static int a = 55;

    public static void main(String abc[]) {
        // a is 55
        System.out.println(a);
    }
}

Answer 1

Have a look at the Java Language Specification, especially

12.4.2 Detailed Initialization Procedure

… Next, execute either the class variable initializers and static
initializers of the class, or the field initializers of the interface,
in textual order, as though they were a single block, except that
final class variables and fields of interfaces whose values are
compile-time constants are initialized first (§8.3.2.1, §9.3.1,
§13.4.9). …