Member inner class

Anonymous inner class

public class MyStack {

private Object[] items = null;

...

public Iterator iterator() {

return new StackIterator();

}

//inner class

class StackIterator implements Iterator{

...

public boolean hasNext(){...}

}

}

public class MyStack {

private Object[] items = null;

...

public Iterator iterator() {

return new Iterator {

...

public boolean hasNext() {...}

}

}

}

Class Type

Description

Example +

Class name

Outer

class

Package

member class or interface

Top level class. Only type JVM

can access.

//package scope

class Outside{}

Outside.class

Inner

class

static nested

class or interface

Defined within the context of the

top-level class. Must be static & can access static members of its having class. No relationship between the instances of outside and Inside classes.

//package scope

class Outside {

static class Inside{       }

}

Outside.class ,Outside$Inside.class

Inner

class

Member class

Defined within the context of

outer class, but non-static. Until an object of Outside class has

been started you can't create

Inside.

class Outside{

class Inside(){}

}

Outside.class , Outside$Inside.class

Inner

class

Local class

Defined within a part of code.

Can use final local variables and final method parameters. Only

visible within the part of code that defines it.

class Outside {

void first() {

final int i = 5;

class Inside{}

}

}

Outside.class , Outside$1$Inside.class

Inner

class

Anonymous

class

Just like local class, but no

name is used. Useful when only one instance is used in a

method. Most naturally used in

AWT/SWING event model, Spring framework hibernate call

back methods etc.

//AWT example

class Outside{

void first() {

button.addActionListener ( new ActionListener()

{

public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) { System.out.println("The button was  pressed!");

}

});

}

}

Outside.class , Outside$1.class