Can we call a static method with a null object in Java? If so, how?

Question

Since static methods can be called directly from the class (i.e. ClassName.methodName), why it is required to call a static method with the object of the class?

If someone knows then, elaborate with example.

public static void methodA(){

}

Answer 1

The following code contains an example, in which a static method is called via a null reference.

public class Test {
    public static void main(String... args) {
        Test test = null;
        test.greeting(); // call with null reference
    }
    public static void greeting() {
        System.out.println("Hello World");
    }
}

Because Test::greeting is a static method, the expression test.greeting() is identical to Test.greeting(). For that reason, there is no NullPointerException thrown at runtime.

Answer 2

There is no need for an instance while invoking static member or method.

Since static members belongs to class rather than instance.

Example 15.11.1-2. Receiver Variable Is Irrelevant For static Field Access

The following program demonstrates that a null reference may be used to access a class (static) variable without causing an exception:

The example from spec it self.

class Test3 {
    static String mountain = "Chocorua";
    static Test3 favorite(){
        System.out.print("Mount ");
        return null;
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(favorite().mountain);
    }
}

And the analysis of why it is happening

Even though the result of favorite() is null, a NullPointerException is not thrown. That "Mount " is printed demonstrates that the Primary expression is indeed fully evaluated at run time, despite the fact that only its type, not its value, is used to determine which field to access (because the field mountain is static).