Using static keyword

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May 22, 2024 (01:31:00 PM)

This lab serves multiple goals:

To teach you how a static class differs from a non-static one,
To illustrate the usefulness of static classes,
To teach you how a non-static class can manipulate static fields.

Static Classes – Warm-Up

One use case for static classes is creating utility classes (or “helper classes”) that contain related and frequently-used methods Using a static class makes those methods easily callable anywhere in the program. Some examples of static classes in C# are the Math and Console classes.

Pay attention to how these classes are used:

A Console object is never instantiated before use.
The WriteLine method is called referring to the name of the class (not an object identifier):
```
Console.WriteLine("calling a static method");
```
Question:

Using your IDE, check what happens if you do the following:
```
Console test = new Console();
```

Solution:

Indeed, it is not possible to instantiate an object when a class is declared static. Furthermore, if a class is declared static, all its members (e.g., attributes, methods, constructors, etc.) must also be declared static.

Static Calculator

In your IDE create a new project. Then add a new class file called Calculator.cs

In Calculator.cs:

Declare a static class and name it Calculator.
Add 5 public methods to the Calculator class. Each method takes 2 arguments x and y of type double:
1. Add method that returns the result of x + y.
2. Subtract method that returns the result of x - y.
3. Multiply method that returns the result of x * y.
4. Divide method that returns the result of x / y.
5. Modulo method that returns the result of x % y.

After implementing Calculator,

Open the file that contains the program’s Main method

Paste the following code inside the Main method:

double x = 10d, y = 2d;

Console.WriteLine($"{x} + {y} = {Calculator.Add(x, y)}");
Console.WriteLine($"{x} - {y} = {Calculator.Subtract(x, y)}");
Console.WriteLine($"{x} * {y} = {Calculator.Multiply(x, y)}");
Console.WriteLine($"{x} / {y} = {Calculator.Divide(x, y)}");
Console.WriteLine($"{x} % {y} = {Calculator.Modulo(x, y)}");

Again, notice how

no instance of Calculator is created before use, and
each Calculator method is called referring to the name of the class.

Execute the program
- If your implementation of the Calculator class matches the instructions, you will see meaningful output after executing the program.
- Otherwise, review the instructions again and retrace your implementation steps to resolve any issues.

Static Members in a Non-static Class

A non-static class can contain both static and non-static class members.

Download, extract, and study this project implementation, but do not execute it. After reading through the implementation, answer the questions below.

How many non-static attributes does the Student class have?
How many static attributes does the Student class have?
How many non-static methods does the Student class have?
How many static methods does the Student class have?
What is the output of each of the following lines in “Program.cs”:
1. Console.WriteLine(alice);
2. Student.DisplayStudentCount(); // first time
3. Console.WriteLine(bob);
4. Student.DisplayStudentCount(); // second time
If the studentCount attribute was not static, what would be the output of:
1. Student.DisplayStudentCount(); // first time
2. Student.DisplayStudentCount(); // second time
When a class contains both static and non-static members, is it possible to refer to non-static members inside a static method? For example, if we try to refer to the name attribute inside DisplayStudentCount, will it work? Why or why not?

Check your answers by creating a matching program in your IDE and executing it.

To check the last question, in Student.cs, uncomment the following line and verify its behavior matches your answer:

// Console.WriteLine(name);