title: Java: What is the difference between <init> and <clinit>?
body: <p>I am unable to understand the following text... Does it mean that <code>&lt;clinit&gt;</code> is for empty constructors? Why is important to have two different versions?</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jvms/se7/html/jvms-2.html" rel="noreferrer">https://docs.oracle.com/javase/specs/jvms/se7/html/jvms-2.html</a></p>
  
  <blockquote>
  <pre><code>2.9. Special Methods
  </code></pre>
    
    <p>At the level of the Java virtual machine, every constructor (§2.12) appears as an instance initialization method that has the
    special name <code>&lt;init&gt;</code>. This name is supplied by a compiler. Because the
    name <code>&lt;init&gt;</code> is not a valid identifier, it cannot be used directly in a
    program written in the Java programming language. Instance
    initialization methods may be invoked only within the Java virtual
    machine by the invokespecial instruction, and they may be invoked only
    on uninitialized class instances. An instance initialization method
    takes on the access permissions (§2.7.4) of the constructor from which
    it was derived.</p>
    
    <p>A class or interface has at most one class or interface initialization method and is initialized (§2.17.4) by invoking that
    method. The initialization method of a class or interface is static
    and takes no arguments. It has the special name <code>&lt;clinit&gt;</code>. This name is
    supplied by a compiler. Because the name <code>&lt;clinit&gt;</code> is not a valid
    identifier, it cannot be used directly in a program written in the
    Java programming language. Class and interface initialization methods
    are invoked implicitly by the Java virtual machine; they are never
    invoked directly from any Java virtual machine inw2struction, but are
    invoked only indirectly as part of the class initialization process.</p>
  </blockquote>