In the previous chapter, we talked about superclasses and subclasses. If a class inherits a method from its superclass, then there is a chance to override the method provided that it is not marked final. Show The benefit of overriding is: ability to define a behavior that's specific to the subclass type, which means a subclass can implement a parent class method based on its requirement. In object-oriented terms, overriding means to override the functionality of an existing method. ExampleLet us look at an example. class Animal { public void move() { System.out.println("Animals can move"); } } class Dog extends Animal { public void move() { System.out.println("Dogs can walk and run"); } } public class TestDog { public static void main(String args[]) { Animal a = new Animal(); // Animal reference and object Animal b = new Dog(); // Animal reference but Dog object a.move(); // runs the method in Animal class b.move(); // runs the method in Dog class } } This will produce the following result − OutputAnimals can move Dogs can walk and run In the above example, you can see that even though b is a type of Animal it runs the move method in the Dog class. The reason for this is: In compile time, the check is made on the reference type. However, in the runtime, JVM figures out the object type and would run the method that belongs to that particular object. Therefore, in the above example, the program will compile properly since Animal class has the method move. Then, at the runtime, it runs the method specific for that object. Consider the following example − Exampleclass Animal { public void move() { System.out.println("Animals can move"); } } class Dog extends Animal { public void move() { System.out.println("Dogs can walk and run"); } public void bark() { System.out.println("Dogs can bark"); } } public class TestDog { public static void main(String args[]) { Animal a = new Animal(); // Animal reference and object Animal b = new Dog(); // Animal reference but Dog object a.move(); // runs the method in Animal class b.move(); // runs the method in Dog class b.bark(); } } This will produce the following result − OutputTestDog.java:26: error: cannot find symbol b.bark(); ^ symbol: method bark() location: variable b of type Animal 1 error This program will throw a compile time error since b's reference type Animal doesn't have a method by the name of bark. Rules for Method Overriding
Using the super KeywordWhen invoking a superclass version of an overridden method the super keyword is used. Exampleclass Animal { public void move() { System.out.println("Animals can move"); } } class Dog extends Animal { public void move() { super.move(); // invokes the super class method System.out.println("Dogs can walk and run"); } } public class TestDog { public static void main(String args[]) { Animal b = new Dog(); // Animal reference but Dog object b.move(); // runs the method in Dog class } } This will produce the following result − OutputAnimals can move Dogs can walk and run IntroductionOverriding and overloading are the core concepts in Java programming. They are the ways to implement polymorphism in our Java programs. Polymorphism is one of the OOPS Concepts. Screenshot of Java code with arrows pointing at instances where overloading and overriding are occurring.When the method signature (name and parameters) are the same in the superclass and the child class, it’s called overriding. When two or more methods in the same class have the same name but different parameters, it’s called overloading. Comparing overriding and overloading
Overriding and overloading exampleHere is an example of overloading and overriding in a Java program:
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ConclusionIn this article, we covered overriding and overloading in Java. Overriding occurs when the method signature is the same in the superclass and the child class. Overloading occurs when two or more methods in the same class have the same name but different parameters. What happens when you override a method?Instance Methods
The ability of a subclass to override a method allows a class to inherit from a superclass whose behavior is "close enough" and then to modify behavior as needed. The overriding method has the same name, number and type of parameters, and return type as the method that it overrides.
Why should a method be overridden?Method overriding is used to provide the specific implementation of a method which is already provided by its superclass.
Which methods are overridden?When a method in a subclass has the same name, same parameters or signature, and same return type(or sub-type) as a method in its super-class, then the method in the subclass is said to override the method in the super-class.
What is method overriding give an example?Method Overriding Example
We have two classes: A child class Boy and a parent class Human. The Boy class extends Human class. Both the classes have a common method void eat() . Boy class is giving its own implementation to the eat() method or in other words it is overriding the eat() method.
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