Using static fields to provide class-level values

Sometimes, all the members of a class share the same attribute, and we don't need to have a specific value for each instance. For example, virtual creature types have the following profile values:

• Attack power

• Defense power

• Special attack power

• Special defense power

• Average speed

• Catch rate

• Growth rate

A first approach we might think useful for this situation is to define the following class constants to store the values that are shared by all the instances:

• ATTACK_POWER

• DEFENSE_POWER

• SPECIAL_ATTACK_POWER

• SPECIAL_DEFENSE_POWER

• AVERAGE_SPEED

• CATCH_RATE

• GROWTH_RATE

Note

Note the usage of uppercase and words separated by underscores (_) for class constant names. This is a naming convention in Java 9.

The following lines show a new version of the VirtualCreature class that defines the seven previously listed class constants with the public access modifier. Notice that the combination of the final and static keywords makes them class constants. The...