#codeorganization

The use of the static keyword in Java is a fundamental aspect of Java programming, allowing developers to define class-level variables and methods rather than instance-specific ones. Understanding how and when to use the static keyword is crucial for writing efficient and organized code.

In Java, a static variable belongs to the class itself rather than any specific instance of that class. This means it can be accessed using the class name followed by a dot operator, without needing to create an object of the class. For example, in a banking application, a static variable 'totalDeposits' could be used to track the total deposits across all accounts, accessible without instantiating any specific account object.

Similarly, the static keyword can be used to create class variables, which are shared among all instances of a class. These variables are created when the program is loaded and can be accessed using the class name directly. For instance, a 'currentAccountNumber' variable could be declared as static within an 'Account' class, ensuring its availability throughout the program's execution.

In addition to variables, the static keyword is also applied to method declarations. A static method belongs to the class itself rather than any specific instance, allowing it to be called without instantiating an object. This provides benefits such as accessing non-static members without object instantiation and allowing direct invocation of constructors.

When it comes to memory allocation, static variables are allocated memory before any other type of variable when the program starts executing. They exist at the class level scope and are shared among all instances of the class. This can lead to efficient memory usage, especially in scenarios where multiple objects need access to the same data.

Understanding the distinction between instance and static variables is crucial in Java programming. Instance variables are unique to each object created from the class, while static variables are shared among all instances. This difference affects how data is stored and accessed within the program.

I have recently gone through a major revamp of my code repositories, both locally and remotely on GitHub and BitBucket, because I have recently come to the major realization of Why You (I) Should Organize Your (My) Code. If you’re at all like me, you probably have a bunch of folders all over your computer’s hard drive which contain random snippets of code. Ok, no, actually, I haven’t been like that in a while, I, about 6 or 7 months ago, have moved all of the code snippets on my computer to a single location, ~/Dropbox/coding, so that it is super easy to cd into it while working in a shell (which is my primary coding environment, aside from Sublime Text) - but it was still super messy and unorganized, with random git repos all over the place and so on.

After recently getting some more web development job offers recently, I realized that I really needed to get serious about the organization/public display of my code. That’s when I came up with 5 reasons why you should organize your code.

Potential Employers

I have read many places (take hacker school for example) that to get a job in the web/programming industry, a solid GitHub account is a must. Even if you can sit down and prove that you know what you're talking about when you chat about recursive loops in ruby, you need to have a history of projects that you have done using said skill, and GitHub is great for just that.

If you were to walk into a new job as a web developer, your employer/fellow employees would expect you to have some already established habits of good code organization, so that not only you, but they are able to navigate your filesystems as well when needed.

This applies even for the people (like me) who plan to start their own business. Not only does it set me up as a good employee in case my own business fails, it gives me good habits to set and example for my employees as well.

Mobility

I can safely say today that if I lost my MacBook right now, I would lose 0 code repositories, because they are all both (1) versioned on GitHub, and (2) backed up in my Dropbox. That doesn't mean I want to lose my MacBook, but it does give me a sort of insurance in case it happens.

I also have access to all of my code anytime through the Dropbox app on my phone, that means that at any time if I'm talking about how to write a FizzBuzz program in Bash, I can whip out my phone and show that I've done it, and have it displayed publicly on the internet.

Sharing

Every coder at some point wants to share his code with others, whether it be with another coder to get his advice, or with a lay person to show off his work. While this is a bit of a given with services like GitHub or BitBucket, it is often too much of a hassle to upload your code to a service and sharing a link instead of just emailing the entire file/project. That is why you should already have it all versioned with git and uploaded to GitHub or BitBucket, because then it's always ready for sharing.

Open Source Goodness

I don't know any coder who wouldn't say that they relied heavily on Google and StackOverflow while developing their projects. What a lot of people don't realize is that the information they get while using Google or StackOverflow is all freely given to them to learn from by a community of like-minded coders. That is exactly the purpose of the concept of Open Source code. Everyone can learn from each other's publicly displayed code, and the entire community benefits - not just your single project.

Death