What does `new Counter()` do in this code?

Basically, `new Counter()` creates a new instance of the class `Counter`. The constructor, which is the method defined as `Counter()`, runs automatically each time you create a new object. Since `count` is static, it’s shared across all instances, meaning every time you call `new Counter()`, it increments that count by 1. When you print `Counter.count` at the end, it shows how many times you've instantiated `Counter`. So, it's not just calling a normal method; it's creating an object and initializing it.

Good point! The main thing here is that every time you hit `new Counter()`, the constructor runs and increments `count`. If `count` were non-static, you would have to create an instance first to access it. But since it’s shared, you can just access it through the class name directly. Just remember that static variables behave differently than instance variables!

You're right on point! The `new` keyword is specifically used to create an object from a class, and it tells the compiler that you want to execute the constructor. In this case, `new Counter()` runs the constructor, which increments the static variable `count`, keeping track of how many times the object has been created without needing to store a reference to the object itself. It’s a neat way of measuring instance creation.

Just wanted to add that using `new Counter()` like this can be a bit confusing. While it's true that creating an instance is what happens, it’s often better to keep a reference to the object if you're planning to use it later. But since your example only uses the static count, it works fine here to not store it.