JS Class Static

What are Static Methods?

In JavaScript, static methods are functions that belong to a class rather than any particular instance of the class. This means that static methods are called on the class itself, not on instances of the class. They are useful for defining utility functions or methods that are relevant to all instances of a class, but do not require access to instance-specific data.

Defining a Static Method

To define a static method in a class, you use the static keyword before the method name. Here's a simple example:

Accessing Static Methods

Static methods are accessed directly on the class. They cannot be called on instances of the class. Attempting to do so will result in a TypeError. Here is an example of accessing a static method:

Use Cases for Static Methods

Static methods are particularly useful for:

• Utility functions that perform tasks independent of instance data.
• Methods that convert or transform data types.
• Factory methods that create instances of the class.

Static Methods vs Instance Methods

Unlike instance methods, static methods cannot access instance properties or methods by using the this keyword. They are purely class-related and should be used when functionality is not dependent on instance-specific data.

Example: Static Method for Data Conversion

Here is an example demonstrating a class with a static method used to convert temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit: