Advanced Programming

Inheritance

Lecture 3
 Inheritance
 Inheritance is the process by which
objects of one class acquire the
properties of objects of another
class.
 Inheritance supports the concept of
hierarchical classification.
 For example, the bird robin is a
part of the class flying bird, which is
again a part of the class bird.
 The principle behind this sort of
division is that each derived class
shares common characteristics
with the class from which it is
derived

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Inheritance ….
 Organizes objects in a top-down fashion from most general to
least general
 Inheritance vs. Composition
 Inheritance defines a “is-a” relationship
 A mountain bike “is a” kind of bicycle
 A SUV “is a” kind of automobile
 A border collie “is a” kind of dog
 A laptop “is a” kind of computer
 Composition is “has-a” relationship (a mammal has a leg)
 A form of software reusability in which a new class is created
from an existing class by absorbing its attributes and behaviors
 The new class adds unique characteristics which do not belong
to the existing class.

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Object-oriented terminology
 In object-oriented programming languages, a class created b y
extending another class is called a subclass.
 The class used for the basis is called the superclass
 superclass – the existing, previously defined class, the
inherited one.
 subclass – the new class which inherits the superclass
 extends keyword – subclass extends superclass
 Every subclass object is an object of the superclass as well
 “subclass-object-is-a-superclass-object” relationship (but not
vice-versa!)
 A subclass object is generally larger than the superclass
objects.
 Alternative terminology
 The superclass is also referred to as the base or parent
class
 The subclass is also referred to as the derived or child class
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Java’s Mother of all objects
Class Object
 Every new class MUST extend another
class.
 If such is not specified, Java implicitly
extends Object.
 Object is the super class of the entire
Java class hierarchy.

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Implementing Inheritance in
Java
Person class is a
child class of class
Object.
class Person{
String name; Keyword extends
Allows us to implement
} Inheritance

class Student extends

Person{ String dit; Student class is a child class
of Person class.
} In Student class we mention
only the attributes and
class Test{ methods which are special
to the child class.
public static void main(String[] arg){
Student s1;
s1 = new Student(); s1.name
Even though an attribute
= “Kamal”; s1.dit = called dit is not mentioned in
“DIT/10/c1/1234”; Student class, a Student
} object inherits that from the
parent.
}
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Implementing Inheritance in
Java ….
A parent class can
have any number
of child classes
class Employee extends Person{
String dit; WRONG !
}
A child class cannot
have several
class PartTimeStudent extends Student, Employee{ parent classes.
int noOfHours;
}
It is not possible to
class PartTimeStudent extends Student { implement Multiple
int noOfHours; Inheritance in Java.
}

class Test{ Correct !

public static void main(String[] arg){
PartTimeStudent s1; PartTimeStudent inherits every
thing from Person and
s1 = new PartTimeStudent(); Student classes
s1.name = “Kamal”;
s1.dit = “DIT/10/c1/1234”;
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}
Inheritance Example.
class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg){
Person p; CORRECT !
Student s; PartTimeStudent
t; CORRECT !
A super class variable CAN refer
to a sub class object.
p = new Person();
Because,
p = new Student(); ANY SUB CLASS OBJECT IS A
p = new SUPER CLASS OBJECT (DUE
PartTimeStudent() TO INHERITANCE)
;

s = new Person(); WRONG !

s = new A child class variable
cannot refer to a parent class
PartTimeStudent() object.
;
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t = new Student();
Inheritance Example.
class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg){ CORRECT !
Person p;
CORRECT !
p = new Student();
WRONG !
p.name = “Kamal”;
p is a variable of type class Person.

p.dit = “DIT/10/c1/1234”; So that we can access only the

attributes and methods mentioned
in Person class using “p.*” .
}
} Even thought variable p refer to a Student
object, that object is treated as a Person object
since the data type of p is Person.
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Type cast and assignment
 Super class var = subclass object
 It is always acceptable to assign a subclass reference (object) to a
superclass reference (object)
 Sub class var = super class object
 not allowed (additional subclass members not present in the
superclass will remain undefined)
 Sub class var = ( subclass ) super class object
 downcasting is possible only when the superclass object refers to a
subclass object (simply stated, the superclass object is a subclass
object made by previous assignments)
 the operator instanceOf
 Can be used to determines whether an object is referencing a
particular class:
ex. if (point1 instanceOf Circle)

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Type casting Example.
class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg){
p
Person p;

p = new Student();
name
s dit = “..”
p.name = “Kamal”;
Down casting.
Student s;
Both variables p & s refer to
the same Student object.
s = (Student)p;
Can access only the attributes
mentioned in Person class using Student Object
s.dit = “DIT/10/c1/1234”; variable p.

But can access all the attributes

} belongs to Student class using
} variable s.

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Type casting Example.
class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg){
p
Person p;

p = new Person(); name

Not possible
s
p.name = “Kamal”;
Wrong !
Student s;
Down casting is possible
s = (Student)p;
only when a super class
variable refers to sub class Person Object
s.dit = “DIT/10/c1/1234”; object.

}
} Gets a runtime error.

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Overriding Data fields
 A superclass’s instance variable can be hidden by a subclass’s def inition of
an instance variable with the same name (override).

class Student extends

Person{ String name;
String dit;

public Student(String n, String d){

name = n;
dit = d;
}
}

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 Overriding Data fields ..
 What will be the out put of the following program?

class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg)
{ Student s;

s = new Student(“Kamal”, “3500”);

System.out.println(s.name); Kamal
System.out.println(s.dit); 3500
}
}

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Overriding Data fields
 Student class has two attributes with the same name.
 One inherits from parent.
 The other overrided in the child class. Student Object

class Student extends

Person{ String name; this.name
String dit; super.nam
e
this.dit
public Student(String n, String d){
this.name = n;
super.name = n+n;
this.dit = d;
}
}

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 Overriding Data fields ..
 What will be the out put of the following program?

class Test{
public static void main(String[] arg)
{ Student s;

s = new Student(“Kamal”, “3500”);

System.out.println(s.name); Kamal
System.out.println(s.dit); 3500
}
}

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Overriding Data fields ...
display () method

class Student extends Person{

String name;
String dit;

public Student(String n, String n){

this.name = n;
super.name = n+n;
this.dit = d;
}
public void display(){
System.out.println(this.name);
System.out.println(super.name)
; System.out.println(this.dit);
}
}

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 Overriding Data fields ..
 What will be the out put of the following program?
Outsiders (class Test)
class Test{ can access only the
public static void main(String[] arg) attributes belongs to the
{ Student s; child.

s = new Student(“Kamal”, “3500”);

System.out.println(s.name); Kamal
System.out.println(s.dit); 3500
Only the child can
s.display(); Kamal access both
} KamalKamal attributes.
} 3500

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Finality
 Classes, methods and attributes can be declared a s
final.
 A final class
 Cannot be inherited (cannot create child classes).
 MUST be a concrete class. (must be able to create objects)
 All the attributes and methods in the class are automatically
final.
 A Final method
 Any child class cannot override it.
 Must have a method implementation. (a method body)
(Must be able to invoke/call the method)
 A final attribute
 Any child class cannot override it.
 Must initialize as soon as we declare the variable.
 Cannot change the value later.
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final attributes
 Final attributes are instance variables.
 Each object will keep a separate copy of that
attribute.
 Attributes MUST be declared as final static
to behave as constants.
 If you declare an attribute as static only.
 One copy will be maintained for the whole class.
 Can be accessed with objects or without
objects (<class name>.attribute)
 Can change the value at any time.
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OOP Contd.
End – Lecture 6