What is the difference between a nested class and an inner class in Java?

The derived class (the class that is derived from another class) is called a subclass. … So, as you drop down in the hierarchy, the classes become more and more specialized: Definition: A subclass is a class that derives from another class. A subclass inherits state and behavior from all of its ancestors .

In the Java language, classes can be derived from other classes, thereby inheriting fields and methods from those classes. Definitions: A class that is derived from another class is called a subclass (also a derived class, extended class, or child class).

In Java programming, nested and inner classes often go hand in hand. A class that is defined within another class is called a nested class. An inner class, on the other hand, is a non-static type, a particular specimen of a nested class.

1) First and most important difference between Inner class and nested static class is that Inner class require instance of outer class for initialization and they are always associated with instance of enclosing class. On the other hand nested static class is not associated with any instance of enclosing class.