A static nested class does not hold an implicit reference to the outer instance; it can be created without an outer object. An inner class holds a reference to the outer instance, which can increase memory usage and lead to leaks if misused.
Advanced answer
Deep dive
Expanding on the short answer — what usually matters in practice:
Explain the "why", not just the "what" (intuition + consequences).
Trade-offs: what you gain/lose (time, memory, complexity, risk).
Edge cases: empty inputs, large inputs, invalid inputs, concurrency.
Examples
A tiny example (an explanation template):
// Example: discuss trade-offs for "static-nested-class-vs-inner-class:-what’s-the-d"
function explain() {
// Start from the core idea:
// A static nested class does not hold an implicit reference to the outer instance; it can be
}
Common pitfalls
Too generic: no concrete trade-offs or examples.
Mixing average-case and worst-case (e.g., complexity).