In Java, Can we call the main() method of a class from another class?
Last Updated :
14 Feb, 2022
In Java, Can we call the main() method of a class from another class?
OR
How to call ‘public static void main(String[] args)’ method from our code?
These are some questions that usually puzzles a Java programmer. This article aims to provide an answer to these problems in a simple and efficient way.
As we know, the main() method for any Java application as the Java Run time environment calls the main() method first. So it is obvious that we don’t need to call the main() method by ourselves as it is already called when the program starts. But what if we want to call the main() method from somewhere in our program? That’s the problem.
Solution:
Though Java doesn’t prefer main() method called from somewhere else in the program, it does not prohibit one from doing it as well. So, in fact, we can call the main() method whenever and wherever we need to.
But calling the main() method from our code is tricky. It can lead to many errors and exceptions, such as:
- The main() method must be called from a static method only inside the same class.
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
void mainCaller()
{
System.out.println("mainCaller!");
main( null );
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("main");
mainCaller();
}
}
|
- Compilation Error in java code:
prog.java:27: error: non-static method mainCaller()
cannot be referenced
from a static context
mainCaller();
^
1 error
- The main() method must be passed the String[] args while calling it from somewhere else.
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
static void mainCaller()
{
System.out.println("mainCaller!");
main();
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("main");
mainCaller();
}
}
|
- Compilation Error in java code:
prog.java:17: error: method main in class GFG
cannot be applied to given types;
main();
^
required: String[]
found: no arguments
reason: actual and formal argument lists differ in length
1 error
- Calling the main() method will lead to an infinite loop as the memory stack knows to run only the main() method.
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
static void mainCaller()
{
System.out.println("mainCaller!");
main( null );
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("main");
mainCaller();
}
}
|
- RunTime Error in java code:
RunTime Error in java code :-
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
main
.
.
.
The right way to this:
Example 1: Calling main() method externally from the same class
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
static int count = 0 ;
static void mainCaller()
{
System.out.println("mainCaller!");
count++;
if (count < 3 ) {
main( null );
}
}
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("main");
mainCaller();
}
}
|
Output:
main
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
Example 1: Calling main() method externally from another class
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
static int count = 0 ;
static void mainCaller()
{
System.out.println("mainCaller!");
count++;
if (count < 3 ) {
Test.main( null );
}
}
}
class Test {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("main");
GFG.mainCaller();
}
}
|
Output:
main
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
main
mainCaller!
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