Understanding Java Static Blocks and Their Role in Initialization

Static initializers, also known as "static blocks", are used in Java to initialize static variables or to perform actions when a class is loaded. They are executed only once, when the class is loaded by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). To create a static initializer, simply use the static keyword followed by a pair of braces {} and write the initialization code within those braces.

In this example, we have a static variable staticCounter and a static initializer block that sets the value of this variable to 5. The code inside the static block will be executed only once when the class is loaded.