How to Effectively Use Static Util Classes in Java with Polymorphism

Описание: Discover how to streamline your Java code by efficiently using static utility classes without code duplication or unnecessary complexity.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/68483265/ asked by the user 'user3369398' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3369398/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/68484345/ provided by the user 'DuncG' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4712734/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Is it possible to call diffrent instances from static util

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Streamlining Java Static Utility Classes

When developing with Java, you may encounter situations where you need to manage static utility classes for common functionalities. A common question arises: Is it possible to call different instances from a static utility? This problem often comes up when trying to avoid code duplication while ensuring your code remains clean and maintainable.

In this guide, we'll explore a specific use case regarding the management of static utility classes for accessing Disk objects and present a well-structured solution to this problem.

The Problem

Imagine you are working with a third-party Disk class that has a long initialization time. To enhance performance, you want to create instances of this class only once and access them via static methods. However, you also want to manage multiple disk drives.

You might start by creating two separate utility classes for different disk drives:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

While this approach works, it introduces redundancy since both classes have identical methods. It also complicates code maintenance since changes to one class will require similar updates to the other.

The Solution: A Unified Utility Class

To avoid this duplication and streamline your code, you should consider consolidating the logic into a single utility class. This approach allows you to manage multiple Disk instances more efficiently while keeping your code clean and DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself).

Step 1: Create a Unified DiskUtil Class

Instead of maintaining two separate classes, create a single DiskUtil class with static fields for both disk drives. Here’s how to do it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Accessing the Disk Instances

With this consolidated approach, you can invoke the search functionality in a straightforward manner:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Implement On-Demand Initialization (Advanced)

While creating static instances for both C and D drives works well, a more sophisticated method is to initialize drives on demand. This is advantageous as it can support any number of drives without hardcoding them.

Here’s how you can implement this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This method allows you to create and manage disk instances dynamically. You can simply call:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By reorganizing your utility classes into a single, more efficient structure, you can save time on maintenance, reduce complexity, and still accomplish your goal of easily accessing functionalities across different disk drives. Remember, whether you choose static fields or on-demand initialization, the key is to keep your code clear and manageable.

By applying these principles to your Java static utility classes, you can enhance code quality and maintainability, leading to a more robust and organized codebase.