Method Overriding

Method overriding is an OOP concept where a subclass provides a specific implementation for a method that is already defined in its superclass. The method in the subclass must have the same signature (name, return type, and parameters) as the one in the parent class.

Key Points:

  • Overriding is used to define a new behavior in the subclass for a method inherited from the superclass.
  • The method in the subclass must have the same method signature as the one in the parent class.
  • The @Override annotation is used to indicate that a method is being overridden.
  • The method in the parent class must be accessible (i.e., not private).

Example:

class Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    // Method overriding
    @Override
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Dog barks");
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Animal myAnimal = new Animal();
        myAnimal.sound();  // Output: Animal makes a sound

        Animal myDog = new Dog();
        myDog.sound();  // Output: Dog barks
    }
}

Example with @Override annotation:

class Animal {
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Animal makes a sound");
    }
}

class Dog extends Animal {
    @Override
    void sound() {
        System.out.println("Dog barks");
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Animal animal = new Animal();
        animal.sound();  // Output: Animal makes a sound

        Dog dog = new Dog();
        dog.sound();  // Output: Dog barks
    }
}

🔗 Related Notes