title: Understanding static methods in Java
body: <p>Can someone help me understand what does the following statement mean?</p>
  
  <p>"Like any method, a static method can create or <strong><em>use named objects of its type</em></strong>, so a static method is often used as a <strong><em>“shepherd” for a flock of instances of its own type</em></strong>. "</p>
  
  <p>Source: <a href="http://www.codeguru.com/java/tij/tij0037.shtml#Heading79" rel="nofollow">http://www.codeguru.com/java/tij/tij0037.shtml#Heading79</a></p>