Different Object Array Elements Refer to the Same Object?

Question

I have an object array that I am using to store different objects. When I try to get the data from either object, it gives the last object's data. I made some new testing files and cut everything down to the problem itself. Here is what I mean:

public class Test
{
  public static ObjectTest[] objArray = new ObjectTest[2];

  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    objArray[0] = new ObjectTest("Jimmy");
    objArray[1] = new ObjectTest("Terry");
    System.out.println(objArray[0].getName());
    System.out.println(objArray[1].getName());
  }
}

This outputs:

Terry
Terry

Here is ObjectTest.java as well:

public class ObjectTest
{
  private static String name;

  public ObjectTest(String nm)
  {
    name = nm;
  }

  public static String getName()
  {
    return name;
  }
}

What's making this print out the name for the last object? Aren't there supposed to be 2 different objects here? There seems to be only 1.

Answer 1

Static variables shared between all the class instances, the last value overrides everything you set before. Use instance variables instead of static:

public class Main {
    public static ObjectTest[] objArray = new ObjectTest[2];

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        objArray[0] = new ObjectTest("Jimmy");
        objArray[1] = new ObjectTest("Terry");
        System.out.println(objArray[0].getName());
        System.out.println(objArray[1].getName());
    }
}

class ObjectTest {
    private String name;

    public ObjectTest(String nm) {
        name = nm;
    }

    public String getName() {
        return name;
    }
}

Output:

Jimmy
Terry

Answer 2

name is a static field here, it is just one for every instance of class ObjectTest . Delete static keywords everywhere.