Overriding and Hiding Methods（仔细读完）
Instance Methods
An instance method in a subclass with the same signature (name, plus the number and the type of its parameters) and return type as an instance method in the superclass overrides the superclass's method.
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. An overriding method can also return a subtype of the type returned by the overridden method. This subtype is called a covariant return type.
When overriding a method, you might want to use the @Override annotation that instructs the compiler that you intend to override a method in the superclass. If, for some reason, the compiler detects that the method does not exist in one of the superclasses, then it will generate an error. For more information on @Override, see Annotations.
Static Methods
If a subclass defines a static method with the same signature as a static method in the superclass, then the method in the subclass hides the one in the superclass.
The distinction between hiding a static method and overriding an instance method has important implications:
- The version of the overridden instance method that gets invoked is the one in the subclass.
- The version of the hidden static method that gets invoked depends on whether it is invoked from the superclass or the subclass.
Consider an example that contains two classes. The first is Animal, which contains one instance method and one static method:
public class Animal {
public static void testClassMethod() {
System.out.println("The static method in Animal");
}
public void testInstanceMethod() {
System.out.println("The instance method in Animal");
}
}
The second class, a subclass of Animal, is called Cat:
public class Cat extends Animal {
public static void testClassMethod() {
System.out.println("The static method in Cat");
}
public void testInstanceMethod() {
System.out.println("The instance method in Cat");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Cat myCat = new Cat();
Animal myAnimal = myCat;
Animal.testClassMethod();
myAnimal.testInstanceMethod();
}
}
The Cat class overrides the instance method in Animal and hides the static method in Animal. The main method in this class creates an instance of Cat and invokes testClassMethod() on the class and testInstanceMethod() on the instance.
The output from this program is as follows:
The static method in Animal The instance method in Cat
As promised, the version of the hidden static method that gets invoked is the one in the superclass, and the version of the overridden instance method that gets invoked is the one in the subclass.
Interface Methods
Default methods and abstract methods in interfaces are inherited like instance methods. However, when the supertypes of a class or interface provide multiple default methods with the same signature, the Java compiler follows inheritance rules to resolve the name conflict. These rules are driven by the following two principles:
-
Instance methods are preferred over interface default methods.
Consider the following classes and interfaces:
public class Horse { public String identifyMyself() { return "I am a horse."; } }public interface Flyer { default public String identifyMyself() { return "I am able to fly."; } }public interface Mythical { default public String identifyMyself() { return "I am a mythical creature."; } }public class Pegasus extends Horse implements Flyer, Mythical { public static void main(String... args) { Pegasus myApp = new Pegasus(); System.out.println(myApp.identifyMyself()); } }The method
Pegasus.identifyMyselfreturns the stringI am a horse. -
Methods that are already overridden by other candidates are ignored. This circumstance can arise when supertypes share a common ancestor.
Consider the following interfaces and classes:
public interface Animal { default public String identifyMyself() { return "I am an animal."; } }public interface EggLayer extends Animal { default public String identifyMyself() { return "I am able to lay eggs."; } }public interface FireBreather extends Animal { }public class Dragon implements EggLayer, FireBreather { public static void main (String... args) { Dragon myApp = new Dragon(); System.out.println(myApp.identifyMyself()); } }The method
Dragon.identifyMyselfreturns the stringI am able to lay eggs.
If two or more independently defined default methods conflict, or a default method conflicts with an abstract method, then the Java compiler produces a compiler error. You must explicitly override the supertype methods.
Consider the example about computer-controlled cars that can now fly. You have two interfaces (OperateCar and FlyCar) that provide default implementations for the same method, (startEngine):
public interface OperateCar {
// ...
default public int startEngine(EncryptedKey key) {
// Implementation
}
}
public interface FlyCar {
// ...
default public int startEngine(EncryptedKey key) {
// Implementation
}
}
A class that implements both OperateCar and FlyCar must override the method startEngine. You could invoke any of the of the default implementations with the super keyword.
public class FlyingCar implements OperateCar, FlyCar {
// ...
public int startEngine(EncryptedKey key) {
FlyCar.super.startEngine(key);
OperateCar.super.startEngine(key);
}
}
The name preceding super (in this example, FlyCar or OperateCar) must refer to a direct superinterface that defines or inherits a default for the invoked method. This form of method invocation is not restricted to differentiating between multiple implemented interfaces that contain default methods with the same signature. You can use the super keyword to invoke a default method in both classes and interfaces.
Inherited instance methods from classes can override abstract interface methods. Consider the following interfaces and classes:
public interface Mammal {
String identifyMyself();
}
public class Horse {
public String identifyMyself() {
return "I am a horse.";
}
}
public class Mustang extends Horse implements Mammal {
public static void main(String... args) {
Mustang myApp = new Mustang();
System.out.println(myApp.identifyMyself());
}
}
The method Mustang.identifyMyself returns the string I am a horse. The class Mustang inherits the method identifyMyself from the class Horse, which overrides the abstract method of the same name in the interface Mammal.
Note: Static methods in interfaces are never inherited.
Modifiers
The access specifier for an overriding method can allow more, but not less, access than the overridden method. For example, a protected instance method in the superclass can be made public, but not private, in the subclass.
You will get a compile-time error if you attempt to change an instance method in the superclass to a static method in the subclass, and vice versa.
Summary
The following table summarizes what happens when you define a method with the same signature as a method in a superclass.
| Superclass Instance Method | Superclass Static Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass Instance Method | Overrides | Generates a compile-time error |
| Subclass Static Method | Generates a compile-time error | Hides |
Note: In a subclass, you can overload the methods inherited from the superclass. Such overloaded methods neither hide nor override the superclass instance methods—they are new methods, unique to the subclass.
Abstract Methods and Classes
An abstract class is a class that is declared abstract—it may or may not include abstract methods. Abstract classes cannot be instantiated, but they can be subclassed.
An abstract method is a method that is declared without an implementation (without braces, and followed by a semicolon), like this:
abstract void moveTo(double deltaX, double deltaY);
If a class includes abstract methods, then the class itself must be declared abstract, as in:
public abstract class GraphicObject {
// declare fields
// declare nonabstract methods
abstract void draw();
}
When an abstract class is subclassed, the subclass usually provides implementations for all of the abstract methods in its parent class. However, if it does not, then the subclass must also be declared abstract.
Note: Methods in an interface (see the Interfaces section) that are not declared as default or static are implicitly abstract, so the abstract modifier is not used with interface methods. (It can be used, but it is unnecessary.)
Abstract Classes Compared to Interfaces（重点）
Abstract classes are similar to interfaces. You cannot instantiate them, and they may contain a mix of methods declared with or without an implementation. However, with abstract classes, you can declare fields that are not static and final, and define public, protected, and private concrete methods. With interfaces, all fields are automatically public, static, and final, and all methods that you declare or define (as default methods) are public. In addition, you can extend only one class, whether or not it is abstract, whereas you can implement any number of interfaces.
Which should you use, abstract classes or interfaces?
- Consider using abstract classes if any of these statements apply to your situation:
- You want to share code among several closely related classes.
- You expect that classes that extend your abstract class have many common methods or fields, or require access modifiers other than public (such as protected and private).
- You want to declare non-static or non-final fields. This enables you to define methods that can access and modify the state of the object to which they belong.
- Consider using interfaces if any of these statements apply to your situation:
- You expect that unrelated classes would implement your interface. For example, the interfaces
ComparableandCloneableare implemented by many unrelated classes. - You want to specify the behavior of a particular data type, but not concerned about who implements its behavior.
- You want to take advantage of multiple inheritance of type.
- You expect that unrelated classes would implement your interface. For example, the interfaces
An example of an abstract class in the JDK is AbstractMap, which is part of the Collections Framework. Its subclasses (which include HashMap, TreeMap, and ConcurrentHashMap) share many methods (including get, put, isEmpty, containsKey, and containsValue) that AbstractMap defines.
An example of a class in the JDK that implements several interfaces is HashMap, which implements the interfaces Serializable, Cloneable, and Map<K, V>. By reading this list of interfaces, you can infer that an instance of HashMap (regardless of the developer or company who implemented the class) can be cloned, is serializable (which means that it can be converted into a byte stream; see the section Serializable Objects), and has the functionality of a map. In addition, the Map<K, V> interface has been enhanced with many default methods such as merge and forEach that older classes that have implemented this interface do not have to define.
Note that many software libraries use both abstract classes and interfaces; the HashMap class implements several interfaces and also extends the abstract class AbstractMap.
An Abstract Class Example
In an object-oriented drawing application, you can draw circles, rectangles, lines, Bezier curves, and many other graphic objects. These objects all have certain states (for example: position, orientation, line color, fill color) and behaviors (for example: moveTo, rotate, resize, draw) in common. Some of these states and behaviors are the same for all graphic objects (for example: position, fill color, and moveTo). Others require different implementations (for example, resize or draw). All GraphicObjects must be able to draw or resize themselves; they just differ in how they do it. This is a perfect situation for an abstract superclass. You can take advantage of the similarities and declare all the graphic objects to inherit from the same abstract parent object (for example, GraphicObject) as shown in the following figure.
Classes Rectangle, Line, Bezier, and Circle Inherit from GraphicObject
First, you declare an abstract class, GraphicObject, to provide member variables and methods that are wholly shared by all subclasses, such as the current position and the moveTo method. GraphicObject also declares abstract methods for methods, such as draw or resize, that need to be implemented by all subclasses but must be implemented in different ways. The GraphicObject class can look something like this:
abstract class GraphicObject {
int x, y;
...
void moveTo(int newX, int newY) {
...
}
abstract void draw();
abstract void resize();
}
Each nonabstract subclass of GraphicObject, such as Circle and Rectangle, must provide implementations for the draw and resize methods:
class Circle extends GraphicObject {
void draw() {
...
}
void resize() {
...
}
}
class Rectangle extends GraphicObject {
void draw() {
...
}
void resize() {
...
}
}
When an Abstract Class Implements an Interface
In the section on Interfaces, it was noted that a class that implements an interface must implement all of the interface's methods. It is possible, however, to define a class that does not implement all of the interface's methods, provided that the class is declared to be abstract. For example,
abstract class X implements Y {
// implements all but one method of Y
}
class XX extends X {
// implements the remaining method in Y
}
In this case, class X must be abstract because it does not fully implement Y, but class XX does, in fact, implement Y.
Class Members
An abstract class may have static fields and static methods. You can use these static members with a class reference (for example, AbstractClass.staticMethod()) as you would with any other class