Running Code Before Main Method in Java Using Static Blocks

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Question:

Can you run a code before executing the main method In Java?

Answer:

In Java, you cannot run code before the main method in the traditional sense of executing a method. However, you can achieve similar behavior using static initializers or static blocks. These blocks of code are executed when the class is loaded, before the main method is called.

Here’s an example to illustrate this:

public class Example {

    // Static block
    static {
        System.out.println("Static block executed before main method.");
        // You can put any initialization code here
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Main method executed.");
    }
}

Explanation:

  • The static block is executed when the class Example is loaded into memory, which happens before the main method is invoked.
  • In this example, when you run the program, the output will be:
    Static block executed before main method.
    Main method executed.
    

Key Points:

  • You can have multiple static blocks, and they will execute in the order they appear in the code.
  • Static blocks are useful for initializing static variables or performing setup tasks that need to occur before any instance of the class is created or before the main method runs.