classspecific

Classspecific is an adjective used in software design and programming to describe elements that are defined at the class level and therefore apply to all instances of a class rather than to a single object. In this sense, class-specific features are contrasted with instance-specific data and behavior. The term is often used in documentation to indicate scope or binding of methods, attributes, configurations, or resources to a particular class.

Implementation varies by language. In Java and C#, class-specific state is typically implemented with static fields and static methods, which belong to the class as a whole. In Python, class attributes and methods accessed via the class object or decorated as @classmethod provide class-specific logic and data. Other languages provide analogous mechanisms through metaprogramming or type-level constructs. Class-specific resources can include per-class registries, configuration defaults, or cached computations that are meaningful across all instances of the class.

Design considerations: using class-specific state can improve efficiency or coordination among instances, but it introduces shared mutable state risks and tight coupling between subclasses. It is important to distinguish clearly between class-specific and instance-specific concerns, and to document inheritance behavior where subclassing alters class-level state. When used in multi-threaded contexts, proper synchronization is required to avoid race conditions.

See also: object-oriented programming; class vs. instance; static members; class methods; metaprogramming.