Static Methods

[MKV]

what happens in C#.net when a static method of a non static class is called?
Does it load entire class into memory? when is static method preferred over
instance methods?

[James]

When a static method is called the static constructor is called if it is
available. For instance if you have a class that contains static methods
then you can use the static keyword in front of a constructor name within
that class to create a static constructor. It has to be paremeterless and
have the same name as the class. You are accessing the actual class rather
than an instance of that class.

class MyClass()
{

static MyClass() //static constructor
{
//do this when a static method is called
}

MyClass()
{
//ordinary constructor
}

}

--
James
"MKV" <vyasmayank@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3cff6b9d$1@10.1.10.29...
>
> what happens in C#.net when a static method of a non static class is
called?
> Does it load entire class into memory? when is static method preferred
over
> instance methods?

[MKV]

Thanks James for replying about accessing static method and static constructor.
Other question was about what it loaded in memory when a static method of
a class is classed? Anyone, please correct if this is wrong: When a static
method is called, framework loads all member functions and variables of a
class to memory. It does not initialize all member variables but the loading
overhead is still there...

Mayank.

"James" <James@birdwire.co.uk> wrote:
>When a static method is called the static constructor is called if it is
>available. For instance if you have a class that contains static methods
>then you can use the static keyword in front of a constructor name within
>that class to create a static constructor. It has to be paremeterless and
>have the same name as the class. You are accessing the actual class rather
>than an instance of that class.
>
>class MyClass()
>{
>
>static MyClass() //static constructor
>{
> //do this when a static method is called
>}
>
>MyClass()
>{
> //ordinary constructor
>}
>
>}
>
>--
>James
>"MKV" <vyasmayank@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:3cff6b9d$1@10.1.10.29...
>>
>> what happens in C#.net when a static method of a non static class is
>called?
>> Does it load entire class into memory? when is static method preferred
>over
>> instance methods?
>
>

[Tom]

"MKV" <vyasmayank@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Thanks James for replying about accessing static method and static constructor.
>Other question was about what it loaded in memory when a static method of
>a class is classed? Anyone, please correct if this is wrong: When a static
>method is called, framework loads all member functions and variables of
a
>class to memory. It does not initialize all member variables but the loading
>overhead is still there...


MKV--
I have not used much in the way of static methods, but I do know that static
variables are only loaded once. Irregaurdless of how many instances of that
class exist. I have to believe that a static method works much in the same
way. (Here is an assumption) a static method (when created) gets loaded
into a block of memory that stays resident as long as any one instance of
that class is in scope.

When a static method is called, all of the member functions and static
variables are already in memory. That's the way it is regaurdless of whether
a method is static or not. Suppose you have a class called myClass. The
moment you type: myClass firstInstance = new myClass();
myClass gets loaded into memory (this includes all static fields and ALL
methods). Later when you type firstInstance.MyVariable = 5; that is when
the Instance Fields get loaded into memory.

That is my understanding of how it works. It doesn't really matter if a
method is static or not, when an object is instantiated all methods and functions
are loaded(along with static fields). The reason you need static methods
is so that you can update or change static fields.