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XyzWs Java FAQ:
Why an interface can't be defined in an inner class?
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Why an interface can't be defined in an inner classAccording to JLS: 8.1.3 Inner Classes and Enclosing Instances, inner classes may not declare static initializers or member interfaces. Inner classes may not declare static members, unless they are compile-time constant fields. According to 8.5.2 Static Member Type Declarations, "Member interfaces are always implicitly static. It is permitted but not required for the declaration of a member interface to explicitly list the static modifier". They are always top-level, not inner. Therefore, an interface can't be defined in an inner class. The member interface can only be defined in inside a top-level class or interface. For example,
interface OuterInterface { // Top-level interface
interface NestedInterface {// top-level nested interface
}
}
class OuterClass {
/*Nested top-level classes are always defined with a static keyword*/
static class NestedClass {
interface NestedInterface { } //OK
}
/*Inner class */
class InnerClass {
/* This will cause an error. Because, you can not define a static modifier inside an inner
class. InnerClass is an inner class and NestedInterface is implicitly static.
An compile time error will occurs.
*/
interface NestedInterface { //compile time error,
}
}
}
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